Geelong champion Tom Hawkins ruled out of round 24 as uncertainty surrounds finals return

The Cats were been reluctant to rule Tom Hawkins out of their round 24 at GMHBA Stadium. Now the club has made a final call.

Tom Hawkins and Chris Scott. Picture: Josh Chadwick/Getty Images)

Geelong champion Tom Hawkins looks to have played his last game at GMHBA Stadium, with coach Chris Scott saying he will not return before the finals.

The Cats had listed Hawkins as two-weeks away from returning from his long-term toe injury on their round 23 injury list on Tuesday, but the club was reluctant to officially rule him out of their clash with West Coast in round 24.

But Scott confirmed he will not face the Eagles in round 24 which had loomed as a potential farewell game in front of Cats fans in Geelong.

It sets up a difficult selection decision for the Cats on the retiring Hawkins ahead of a possible qualifying or elimination final.

Scott said he is optimistic Hawkins, who has been back running this week, would be able to return to the field before he calls time, but the Cats coach conceded there is uncertainty surrounding the 36-year-old’s injury timeline.

Tom Hawkins is racing the clock for finals. Picture: Josh Chadwick/Getty Images)

“He won’t play the West Coast game, but what you saw with him running outside he is taking steps forward, but I have seen it every day,” Scott said.

“From the moment he got injured he has been in at the club working away, so the unfortunate answer is we don’t know how it is going to play out, but we are optimistic.

“Optimistic doesn’t mean we are sure it is going to happen, there is enough uncertainty there that I shouldn’t even speculate.

“But when it becomes more of a pessimistic situation we’ll let you know, but we are miles away from that.”

Scott believes the decision will be clear either way closer to the finals and said playing emerging tall Shannon Neale and Hawkins in the same side was one of many possibilities.

“Cross that bridge when we come to it, so I wouldn’t blame (the media) for trying to work through the hypothetical situations. Our coaching group needs to work through them as well, we are not even at the stage where we are vocalising those things at the moment,” Scott said.

“I tend to think that the decision will be a bit more black and white, not completely black and white, but I think it will be simple: either he is ready to perform well, or he is not.”

Geelong’s social media channels encouraged fans to get down to Kardinia Park for their round 24 clash for Hawkins.

Originally published as Geelong champion Tom Hawkins ruled out of round 24 as uncertainty surrounds finals return