Tom Hawkins or Shannon Neale? Geelong facing another finals selection headache

Tom Hawkins was picked over Cam Mooney for the finals series 13 years ago, now the shoe is on the other foot. Should Hawkins or Shannon Neale get the nod? We assess the pros and cons.

“It’s been an awesome journey, it’s certainly not over yet.”

That was the message from Tom Hawkins to fans after he announced 2024 season would be his last.

It was a call that even the most optimistic of Cats supporters would have been expecting, but that doesn’t make it any less disappointing that his storied career is coming to an end.

Hawkins has been a pivotal piece in the Geelong line-up for the best two decades, which is why he it feels sacrilegious to pose the question: is he in their best 22 for the all-important finals series?

With the five-time All-Australian on track to return from his mid foot joint and ligament injury in round 24, it is the elephant in the room that the Cats will be forced to confront.

Before that injury Hawkins the heat was firmly on the 11-time Geelong leading goalkicker for his disappointing form, being held goalless for four straight weeks and averaging just eight touches.

The ageing superstar’s form improved slightly kicked six goals in his next four matches before he went down with his ankle injury against Carlton.

Shannon Neale celebrates a goal with Tom Hawkins. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

But even before that blow he had just three touches and one mark in more than a half of gametime against super stopper Jacob Weitering.

Hawkins will surely be picked for that final round clash against the lowly West Coast for one last farewell on Kardinia Park – where his teammates will be looking for him at all costs with the 800-goal milestone just four majors away.

But a qualifying or do-or-die elimination final, where Weitering could await again, is a different story altogether — especially after two months on the sidelines.

The emergence of young buck Shannon Neale leaves coach Chris Scott with an eerily similar predicament to his first season in 2011.

Ironically, Hawkins was the benficiary of that bold decision.

Back then, Hawkins was the young up and comer, while veteran spearhead Cam Mooney was in and out of the side and banged up.

Scott decided to go with Hawkins over Mooney, who got suspended but didn’t play at all during their successful finals run, where the boy from Finley turned the game in the second half of their premiership win.

Mooney told the Sacked podcast in 2022 that it was “best decision that (Scott) ever made and we saw Tommy Hawkins go from a boy to a man in the space of four weeks. Or probably in the space of a half of football.”

Tom Hawkins put in a huge performance in the 2011 grand final.

You would suspect the typically selfless Hawkins would have a similar attitude himself if Scott had to make that call again 13 years later.

While the principle is the same, Neale is less advanced than the 23-year-old Hawkins was back in 2011. Hawkins’ commanding grand final display came in his 79th game while the 22-year-old Neale has just 15 games under his belt currently.

Neale’s form has been encouraging but far from dominant. He hasn’t been held goalless once this season and 16 majors to his name in 10 games while spending time in the ruck.

The 203 centimetre talent hasn’t taken a game by the scruff of the neck just yet, but his towering mark and goal at the death on Saturday night against Adelaide showed he is capable of standing up in the big moments.

There is the option of playing both Neale and Hawkins, but then the forward line is probably too tall with Ollie Henry and Gary Rohan — who is no certainty to be in the 22 either — also marking targets.

From a pure numbers perspective, the Cats are going better without Hawkins than with him this season, albeit against easier opposition.

Geelong has a record of 6-2 and is averaging 11.5 points per game without Hawkins in the side.

Meanwhile, the Cats have gone 7-5 with him playing, but that does include losses to top-eight sides Port Adelaide, GWS, Sydney and Carlton.

Another thing to consider is the presence of Hawkins. Even if he isn’t the Hawkins of old, he will still command one of the best key defenders, and Scott has lauded his decoy leads and ability to open up the forward line for his teammates.

His two-time premiership teammate Steve Johnson believes the Cats should play him in the finals.

“I think they’ll have a plan for him when he comes back and I think he has a part to play in Geelong’s quest for another premiership,” Johnson said.

“He would have been working extremely hard, understanding that there is some criticism out there and he would want to finish on the right note because deep down he is a real competitor.”

Geelong and North Melbourne goalkicking great Doug Wade agrees.

“I’d give him another go because I think just put him in on the ground and coming into the finals he will be a great asset to us,” Wade said.

Whether the Cats should go with Neale, Hawkins or both in the finals remains unclear and will likely be decided in the next few weeks as Neale’s form and Hawkins’ recovery is assessed.

However, it is clear that Hawkins is no longer the feared forward he once was, and the Cats shouldn’t let his retirement cloud their judgement if Neale is the better option.

But at this point there is no standout.

Originally published as Tom Hawkins or Shannon Neale? Geelong facing another finals selection headache