Western Bulldogs legend Doug Hawkins struck by lightning

One of the finest wingers the game has ever seen has described how a “scary” lightning strike left him unwell and light-headed.

AFL great Doug Hawkins was rushed to hospital after being struck by lightning.

AFL great Doug Hawkins has revealed he was rushed to hospital after being struck by lightning.

The former Bulldogs great and Victoria representative told 3AW that he was on a Yarraville worksite on Thursday morning while wild weather was lashing Melbourne.

Hawkins said he was forced to take shelter in a booth during the storms, saying he was “too scared to get out of the box”.

But it ended up being a questionable decision when the box was struck by lightning.

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“It actually scared the crap out of me,” he said.

“That was the most scary experience I have ever, ever had, particularly when the box started to shake.

“It was the loudest thunder I have ever heard in my life.

“It just went ‘bang’ and all of a sudden, the whole box shook for about 10 seconds.”

The former Bulldogs best and fairest winner compared it to playing on legendary Hawthorn toughman Robert DiPierdomenico.

Footscray's Doug Hawkins was one of the finest wingers in the history of the sport.

“It was nearly worse than playing on Dipper in the 1980s and not knowing where he was,” he said.

Hawkins said he had since recovered from the strike after undergoing a series of scans at Footscray Hospital and having his heart checked.

“It was like a delayed response,” he said.

“I said I’m not feeling too great. I’m a bit light headed and I’ve got these shivers up my left arm. I’m back up and about.”

Lightning strikes kill five to 10 Australians every year, and can result in various serious physical effects including cardiac arrest and burns.

Doug Hawkins alongside Collingwood’s Gavin Brown (right) in 1994.

Hawkins was the 1985 Charles Sutton Medallist and captained Footscray from 1990-1993, eventually breaking the legendary Ted Whitten’s games played record for the club in his final game.

The outer wing of the club’s traditional home, Whitten Oval, is named the Doug Hawkins Wing, a tribute to Hawkins’ position as one of the finest wingers in the history of the game.

He was named in the VFL Team of the Year in 1984 and 1986, kicking 227 goals in a celebrated 350-game career.

He was inducted into the Western Bulldogs Hall of Fame in 2010, being upgraded to Club Legend in 2014.

He continued his position in the public eye after football as a panel member on Nine’s The Footy Show during the mid-1990s before holding a similar role on Seven’s rival show Live and Kicking from 1998.