Lightning delay, Hawkins’ 350th and a Ginnivan free kick debate: Hawks fight hard but Cats win eventful Easter Monday clash

Tom Hawkins still a star

It was a beautiful moment watching star Cats veteran Tom Hawkins with his family on the ground ahead of his 350th game being thanked and cheered for. He’s a generational player who has provided an endless of amount of “get-on-your-feet” moments.

He gave us just that early in the opening term with a trademark Hawkins goal from the right-hand forward pocket, a drop punt, no less.

Tom Hawkins celebrates a goal.Credit: AFL Photos

Then he backed it up with a crafty pick-up out of a contest in the goal square to pop it through in the first term, another goal in the third, then another in the final quarter.

It’s clear the 35-year-old has a lot of footy left in him. That’s evident in the way he plays, and in how much he clearly still loves it, too.

He did have one absolute shank though, just to keep things interesting. With a set shot early in the second half, the game on the line, the ball came off the side of his boot and hit the behind post.

Nobody’s perfect.

Ollie Henry: Geelong’s next big goalscorer?

OK, Jeremy Cameron and Hawkins are still out there on the park, sure. But there’s a lot of talk about Geelong’s veteran players. They are good, no doubt, but how long can they continue?

Who’s next?

There’s obviously All Australian Tyson Stengle but young Ollie Henry is really starting to make himself known in front of the big sticks. Against the Hawks, he booted an equal game-high four goals, along with Hawkins.

Last year, in his first year at Geelong, he took out the best young player award after booting 41 goals – and at least one in 20 of his 22 games.

This season, he looks to be taking it up another notch. He’s able to find space, give an option to teammates, out-muscle opponents to take grabs and then kick well. As the Cats look to keep their competitive edge and their continued appearance in September (minus last year), players such as Henry coming through are going to be crucial as others play out their twilight years.

The Hawks can do damage to top teams

Yes, we all know by now that this is a young, rebuilding side. They came in, and will leave, this round 17th on the ladder. A position many expect them to stay in for a while, if not the entirety of the season.

Hawks coach Sam Mitchell.Credit: AFL Photos

But don’t get it wrong, this is a side that can challenge top-eight teams when they get in a groove. They may not be able to do it for four quarters yet, evident today, but the threat is there.

In the second term, when they kicked five goals to the Cats’ one, they showed intent, fast, clean ball movement through controlled possession and chains of uncontested marks. With the momentum in their back pocket, they nullified Geelong and had individual and team passages of brilliance. Mabior Chol finished the day with three goals, Cam Mackenzie is coming into his own and had two majors early and midfielders Karl Amon and James Worpel continue to have real impact. Then, there’s always skipper James Sicily in defence, too.

Thanks for joining us for a pretty eventful Easter Monday clash. The Cats got the chocolates but not before weather played havoc with the match. Hawthorn put up a spirited display, but in the end the Cats were comfortable 36-point winners. Keep an eye out this week for chat about whether Jack Ginnivan should be paid more free kicks for high contact, especially given he will come up against his former side in round four when the Hawks face the Pies. And we will wait to see whether the AFL hands down any sort of penalty for Tom Hawkins’ brief use of a phone during the rain delay. It looked to be pretty innocuous, but the AFL rules around phone use are strict.

Enjoy the next day or two to regroup before Gather Round, which starts on Thursday. We’ll be back with you throughout the festival of football in South Australia. Catch you then!

They’re doing it again, Geelong.

Not even the unprecedented 40-minute delay at the start of the last quarter, taken as a precaution against a lightning strike, could do more than temporarily stall the Cats on their path to victory over Hawthorn at the MCG on Easter Monday. Lightning didn’t strike once, let alone twice, but the Cats keep striking.

Tom Hawkins got the chocolates in game 350.Credit: AFL Photos

Geelong and Sydney are the two clubs who pride themselves on staying in the contest, year after year. Others submit to the system and accept to go down in order to rise. Monday’s vanquished opponent is one. The Cats keep on keeping on. This day, neither the spirited Hawks nor the dramatic elements could not stop them.

Read the full piece here.

Geelong’s Ollie Henry said the delay due to weather was pretty bizarre but handled well.

He gave a bit more insight into how the players spent their time while the game was delayed due to lightning.

“It’s something that you never, never think’s gonna happen,” he told this masthead. “So you don’t know how to prepare for it. So there’s a few people who, you know, do a quiz, and there’s a few people who, you know, break into a song. And it’s different personalities or different things that hold them in good stead for when they go out on the track next, so, yeah, it was handled well. And yeah, hopefully doesn’t happen again.

“I guess it’s sort of the same as a pre-game routine. And, you know, everyone has a different routine. And, you know, when you have to stop and warm back up again, there are things that, you know, might help you perform better. So, I think if you’re going off, I was dancing to a song … We got the music going … and I couldn’t tell you the name of the song. We had some soccer chants going on. And I did the quiz and, and then just some, like treatment work.”

He wasn’t unhappy when the rain hit the MCG.

“I like the way it completely changes the dynamics of the game. Everything has to adapt to the rain. Because there’s so many more mistakes. And yeah, both teams, you know, sort of doing the similar thing, trying to get the ball forward. Yeah, it’s a completely different game. And I know some people love it. I think our boys love it.”

Collingwood great Tony Shaw has called on Hawthorn to push for answers on the way Jack Ginnivan is officiated.

Shaw, who was calling today’s game on 3AW, says “something needs to be looked at” after a number of free kicks for high tackles on Ginnivan went unpaid.

“I reckon there’s gotta be something looked at … he does duck sometimes and I don’t mind if they don’t pay that. But there’s been a couple, maybe two or three, genuine free kicks [that were unpaid],” he said during the call.

“There’s been a couple where he’s been standing up [when he was tackled high] … you’ve got to go ’round his hips!”

Tom Hawkins has told Fox Footy that he had a coffee and a chinwag with teammate Jeremy Cameron during the break for lightning that lasted a little over 40 minutes.

That’s pretty fitting for the man his teammates call “Tim Tam Tommy” – due to his habit of eating a full packet of Tim Tams before each game.

“It’s been really, really nice and at times it’s been a bit overwhelming,” Hawkins said of the celebrations and accolades that have come with his milestone match.

“It’s partly there for me to celebrate but it’s also about my family, my friends and my coaches,” he added, giving praise to those who have supported him throughout a lengthy career.

He paid tribute to his late mother, Jennie, as well as family and friends who are still with him.

He also stayed humble, saying his job was easy with teammates such as Mitch Duncan dishing him the ball.

Could Tom Hawkins and the Cats be in trouble for jumping on the phone in the rooms during that break for the weather?

Channel Nine’s Tom Morris has this report:

Tom Hawkins’ family is back out on the ground as he is chaired off, cheered and celebrated by players and fans alike.

He’s soaking in the atmosphere: dishing out high-fives, taking selfies and greeting people in the stands.

Well-deserved accolades for a great player!

Tom Hawkins still a star

It was a beautiful moment watching star Cats veteran Tom Hawkins with his family on the ground ahead of his 350th game being thanked and cheered for. He’s a generational player who has provided an endless of amount of “get-on-your-feet” moments.

He gave us just that early in the opening term with a trademark Hawkins goal from the right-hand forward pocket, a drop punt, no less.

Tom Hawkins celebrates a goal.Credit: AFL Photos

Then he backed it up with a crafty pick-up out of a contest in the goal square to pop it through in the first term, another goal in the third, then another in the final quarter.

It’s clear the 35-year-old has a lot of footy left in him. That’s evident in the way he plays, and in how much he clearly still loves it, too.

He did have one absolute shank though, just to keep things interesting. With a set shot early in the second half, the game on the line, the ball came off the side of his boot and hit the behind post.

Nobody’s perfect.

Ollie Henry: Geelong’s next big goalscorer?

OK, Jeremy Cameron and Hawkins are still out there on the park, sure. But there’s a lot of talk about Geelong’s veteran players. They are good, no doubt, but how long can they continue?

Who’s next?

There’s obviously All Australian Tyson Stengle but young Ollie Henry is really starting to make himself known in front of the big sticks. Against the Hawks, he booted an equal game-high four goals, along with Hawkins.

Last year, in his first year at Geelong, he took out the best young player award after booting 41 goals – and at least one in 20 of his 22 games.

This season, he looks to be taking it up another notch. He’s able to find space, give an option to teammates, out-muscle opponents to take grabs and then kick well. As the Cats look to keep their competitive edge and their continued appearance in September (minus last year), players such as Henry coming through are going to be crucial as others play out their twilight years.

The Hawks can do damage to top teams

Yes, we all know by now that this is a young, rebuilding side. They came in, and will leave, this round 17th on the ladder. A position many expect them to stay in for a while, if not the entirety of the season.

Hawks coach Sam Mitchell.Credit: AFL Photos

But don’t get it wrong, this is a side that can challenge top-eight teams when they get in a groove. They may not be able to do it for four quarters yet, evident today, but the threat is there.

In the second term, when they kicked five goals to the Cats’ one, they showed intent, fast, clean ball movement through controlled possession and chains of uncontested marks. With the momentum in their back pocket, they nullified Geelong and had individual and team passages of brilliance. Mabior Chol finished the day with three goals, Cam Mackenzie is coming into his own and had two majors early and midfielders Karl Amon and James Worpel continue to have real impact. Then, there’s always skipper James Sicily in defence, too.

It was certainly eventful, but the result is what most expected – a Geelong victory over the winless Hawks.

Slight injury concern for Hawthorn with just seconds left on the clock, as Nick Watson came limping off with what looked like an ankle injury.

Cats win by 36 points.

Ollie Henry scooped the ball deep inside 50, found Jeremy Cameron right at the top of the goal square.

Cameron then unselfishly passed it off to Tom Hawkins, who kicked his fourth goal in his 350th game.

You’d think the game is now out of reach for Hawthorn.

Cats lead by 32 points with six minutes to go.

Tom HawkinsCredit: Getty