Tom Hawkins opens up about the fires, the farmers and fronting up to take on the might of the Big V
Tom Hawkins has a little secret he doesn’t particularly want his All-Star teammates to know ahead of the bushfire appeal game. And it’s the same reason he doesn’t hate the Big V.
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Tom Hawkins has a little secret he doesn’t particularly want his All-Star teammates to know ahead of Friday night’s bushfire appeal game at Marvel Stadium.
He doesn’t hate the Big V.
In fact, the Geelong forward once wore a version of the jumper as a teenager — albeit for Vic Metro — even though he was a native of Finley, the New South Wales town just 20km over the Victorian border from Tocumwal.
Besides, his dad, the high-leaping “Jumping” Jack Hawkins, represented Victoria in 1979.
“I’m probably a little impartial, but don’t tell anyone,” Tom Hawkins said with a laugh when asked about taking on the Big V.
“I’ve actually worn the Big V before … well, not quite the Big V, but somewhat controversially I played for Vic Metro in the under-18s national championships (in 2006).
“I chose to represent Victoria over New South Wales because home was so close to Victoria and because I was down at Melbourne (Grammar) for school.”
Watch every match of the Marsh Community Series AFL pre-season comp LIVE & On-Demand on KAYO. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >
But that link to the famous Big V won’t stop 31-year-old Hawkins from giving it his all in the bushfire appeal game, knowing from personal connection how tough some Australians have done it this year, especially the farmers who have lost so much land and livestock.
Hawkins has a deep connection to the land. He and his wife, Emma, and their daughters, Arabella and Mimi, have a 62ha hobby farm at Barrabool, just outside Geelong.
His father still has a farm at Finley, and while none of the Hawkins family were affected by what happened during the summer fire storm, he knew some of the farmers who were not so lucky.
“There was no real bushland to burn near Finley, so we were all right,” Hawkins said. “But it was still covered in smoke for days.
“It has been pretty well documented how many people have been affected. We had some friends affected by the fires up in Omeo and Swifts Creek and the alpine regions of Victoria.
“Just seeing some of the imagery, you know what sort of damage was done. Even those days when the smoke blanketed Melbourne and Geelong, it’s pretty scary stuff, and we were so far from the fire front that it wasn’t funny.”
The chance to make a difference for those who have suffered so much meant Hawkins was always going to volunteer to play, and he’s looking forward to running out with a host of stars on the All-Stars side.
“I can’t wait,” he said. “It will be good fun.
“I saw it in my second year of footy (State-of-Origin football), even though I didn’t play. Being a part of AFLX last year and playing with players from other sides was something to remember.
“For whatever reason, AFLX never really took off the way the AFL was hoping it would, but it was still good fun. I really enjoyed it.
“But this is something completely different. This is so much bigger. Better still, it is for a great cause. Selfishly, you want to be picked to play in the game, and it will be so good to be a part of it, but we all know we are here to try and raise as much money as we can.
“That’s what we will be doing, but we will also be having some fun as well.”
Hawkins’ settled family life off the field also kept him grounded last September when the Cats crashed out of the finals in a preliminary final loss to Richmond, a match he missed due to a suspension.
“It (family life) probably balances me out more than I could ever have imagined,” he said. “The beauty of having a family is that your commitment and time changes. I don’t have a lot of thinking time and I don’t get out on the golf course … I wish I played more.
“But when you are busy, you tend to think about things less. And when things maybe don’t go your way, you don’t overthink them as much.”
Hawkins played in the Cats’ loss to Gold Coast in the opening Marsh Community Series clash last week, and he can’t wait to kick into what will be his 14th season since joining the Cats under the father-son rule in late 2006.
MORE AFL
AFL teams with best home ground and interstate records revealed
Try the concussion test taken by AFL players on game day
Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer first Aussie rules player diagnosed with CTE
He is as hungry as ever for more success, especially given the Cats have bowed out in a preliminary final in three of the past four seasons. “I’ve been really happy with how the pre-season has gone,” he said. “I was a bit load managed at the start, but since January I have been in full training.”
Hawkins has won the Cats’ goalkicking for eight consecutive seasons – and has kicked 554 career goals from his 256 games – and he is feeling “energised” by the changes in personnel the Geelong forward line will have this season.
For the moment, though, his sights are on the Big V and hopefully helping the All-Stars to a win as well as a big booty of donations for the bushfire appeal.
FOOTY TIPS! Join Australia’s best footy tipping competition for your chance to win big. Add our experts to your league and join now at TIPS.COM.AU