AFL: Tom Hawkins on life outside of footy, media work and local footy

Tom Hawkins says he has no regrets about calling time on his career at the end of last season. He opens up on life out of the AFL, stepping into the media and the calls for local footy appearances.

Tom Hawkins has no regrets about retiring. Photo: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos.

Tom Hawkins doesn’t regret calling time on his AFL career.

The 359-game Geelong star forward retired at the end of last season as injury ruined his final year at the Cattery.

While it was a difficult end to a magnificent career which included three premierships, five All-Australian selections and the 2012 Coleman Medal, the boy from Finley walks away with no regrets.

“Mentally I think I would have been able to prepare myself but physically I think the game had gone a little bit past me,” Hawkins said.

“I’ve loved my time out of the game. Everyone that knows me and has watched my from afar knows that I will miss playing for the Cats. I miss keeping fit over the summer, that’s for sure.

“Absolutely I’ll miss it (but) I never think what if I played.”

The decision to go into what he described as “football retirement” has given Hawkins more time to spend time with his family.

It’s one of the things he’s loving most.

Tom Hawkins is enjoying spending more time with his family. Picture Lachie Millard

“The first year out of footy, I’ve kind of designed it to spend more time with the family,” he said.

“I’ve already spent a bit of time with the kids which has been great, we’ve been on a couple of trips.

“I’ve been able to do some things that I haven’t been able to do before. I went up to northern NSW for six weeks over Christmas and New Year.

“I went over to America to watch the Super Bowl. Went skiing in February which is arguably the hardest time of the year in a footballer’s calendar.

“It’s been a bloody good start into football retirement.”

But with the footy season to get underway this weekend, Hawkins won’t be loss to the AFL forever.

He’s stepping onto the other side of the fence, joining Fox Footy’s commentary team for 2025.

“I think my approach is I’m a positive guy by nature,” he said.

“With from my skill sets from my time in the game, particularly for key position players around the footy and their body use work, I’m going to draw on that a fair bit.

“I’m conscious I am fresh out of the game and I’m not going to make too many statements. I don’t think that’s in my personality anyway.

“I’m looking forward to bringing a fresh set of eyes in terms of the more intricate stuff you might not see on your television screen.

“I’m nervous like it’s my first job out of school but I’m excited for something new.”

Hawkins is already locked in for at least two local footy appearances this season.

The first will come on Good Friday for his hometown club Finley against Deniliquin Rams.

Brett Deledio and Tom Hawkins are among the first recruits of this year's Carlton Draft campaign.

And he’ll then take part in the Carlton Draft which sends ex-AFL heroes back to local footy.

The Cats hero admitted his phone had started to ring hot as the season got closer.

“You know it didn’t there for a good month,” he said when asked how many times the phone had rang since retiring.

“Joel Selwood, who I played a lot of footy with, said they would come thick and fast. But I said ‘no one is in need of an old, big, chunky full forward who wants to sit there and not do much work and have the ball kicked on his head’.

“I mentioned on Trade Radio one day I was interested in playing a game at Finley, my home club which I’m still going to do.

“And then the calls started to come in. I just put an embargo on it and said I wasn’t going to play.

“The year is going to be busy enough.”

Originally published as AFL: Tom Hawkins on life outside of footy, media work and local footy