Tom Hawkins on playing for Beaufort this weekend

Tom Hawkins will play for Beaufort this weekend but with regional Victoria battling a drought, he says his appearance is about more than footy.

Tom Hawkins will pull on the boots for Beaufort this weekend.

Tom Hawkins knows his appearance for Beaufort this weekend means much more than trying to lift the Crows to their first win of the season.

The Geelong three-time premiership star’s appearance will be his second local footy game this season after playing for his hometown Finley on Good Friday.

Through his own upbringing and new job at Nutrien Ag Solutions, Hawkins said he understands now is a critical time to get behind country communities.

He will play for Beaufort as part of the Carlton Draft initiative which sends ex-AFL guns back to community level for one-off appearances.

“A lot of these communities are battling drought and it’s a tough time for those people involved,” he said.

“There’s more to this weekend than a game of footy. The Carlton Draft is a great concept.

“The business I work for supports a lot of businesses in these types of communities and to be able to work with them is a fantastic opportunity. Hopefully it turns into a big event and we can help raise some money for the community.

“Playing the game for Finley, you get a real sense of how important the local football netball club is to these people. To play the game is fantastic but it’s a great opportunity for so many people to socialise.

“I’ve had people contact me and say they’re going to come from all over the place. It’s going to be a great event.”

Hawkins said he was starting to get a “little nervous” as his Central Highlands league debut neared but said he was thrilled to take the field once again.

“I had planned to not play much footy this year, to spend more time with the family after my AFL career,” he said.

“The prep has been okay but I’m going to lean in on a bit of experience heading into this one.”

Last week, Beaufort called on Geelong supporters to make the trek for the game with the Cats not playing in Victoria this weekend.

“Having Tom as a part of our team for a day not only raises our club’s profile but also brings a sense of hope and community spirit during these tough times,” club president Nick Franc said.

Crows co-captain Cormac Mahony has grown up watching Hawkins and is now excited to run out alongside him.

“It’ll be a rare and awesome privilege for us young blokes to play with an absolute legend like Tom Hawkins,” Mahony said.

To mark the occasion, the club has produced a series of one-off guernsey’s blending the Geelong jumper with Beaufort’s strip. These will be auctioned off after the game.

The game starts at 2.20pm at Beaufort Recreation Reserve with tickets $12 at the gate.