Doug Hawkins (1995)

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Pick 84 in the 1994 AFL Draft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_AFL_Draft)

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/1339/doughawkins.jpg

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Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Hawkins)

After playing 329 games and kicking 216 goals for the Bulldogs, Hawkins' contract was not renewed, and so he moved to the financially strapped Fitzroy Football Club for one last fine season in 1995, one year before the team folded. He played 21 games and kicked 11 goals for the club, before announcing his retirement.

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/1339/doughawkins.jpg

Career statistics (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/D/Doug_Hawkins.html)

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Link (http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/119185/default.aspx) ....

But amid the cut and thrust of its trading rules, the NFL has introduced the wonderful concept of the one-day contract. It is entirely ceremonial, but it does allow players who have played the bulk of their career for one team to retire with that team, even if they moved on.

We could call it the Doug Hawkins Rule. The great Footscray wingman spent a final, forgettable year with Fitzroy and it didn’t seem right that one of the all-time greats of the Bulldogs didn’t retire as a Bulldog.

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Fitzroy chronology (http://www.fitzroyfc.com.au/chronolgy.htm)

Doug Hawkins plays at his 17th AFL venue, the most by any player.

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/3582/doughawkins2.jpg

[Grimreepah]

Hall of Fame (http://www.afl.com.au/*****/awards/halloffame/players/tabid/856/default.aspx)

Doug Hawkins (Footscray/Fitzroy)

DOB: 5/5/1960

Inducted: 2004

One of the Bulldogs most popular players, Hawkins is one of the club’s greatest ever players, making a name for himself on the wing at the Whitten Oval.

Playing career: 1978-1995 (Foots 1978-94; Fitz 1995)

Games: 350 (Foots 329, Fitz 21) Goals: 227 (Foots 216, Fitz 11)

Player honors: Foots Best & Fairest 1985; Foots captain 1990-1993; Foots Leading goalkicker 1991; Foots/WB Team of the Century; All Australian 1984, 1986

http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/9904/doughawkinsfootscray.jpg

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True colours (http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125291/default.aspx)
By Nick Bowen
1:12 PM Wed 19 Oct, 2011

Hawkins, Martyn and McGuane all told AFL.com.au there were negatives about leaving your long-time club. For Hawkins, it was strange to play against his former teammates.

However, Hawkins said his year at Fitzroy had not stopped him being remembered as a Bulldogs player, just as a year or two at Greater Western Sydney would not make people forget where Power, Cornes, Brogan and McDonald had come from.

"At the end of the day, Luke Power will always be a Brisbane Lions champion and the same for Chad Cornes at Port Adelaide and James McDonald at Melbourne," Hawkins said.

"I have no regrets about going to Fitzroy because at the end of the day I love playing footy and Fitzroy gave me a chance," Hawkins said.

"It was a hard battle but it was a great experience for me at 35. Even though I was on my last legs I played 21 games, so I gave pretty good service."

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/1339/doughawkins.jpg

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1992 review (http://footystats.freeservers.com/Special/1992review.html)

DOUG HAWKINS reappointed on-field leader of Footscray with SIMON ATKINS as vice-captain …

Round 1 1995 (http://www.theage.com.au/news/geoff-mcclure/sporting-life/2005/11/10/1131578173006.html?page=2)

But the yarn we like best is the one told by the Doggies' favourite son, Doug Hawkins when he played his first game for Fitzroy in 1995. Hawkins knew the first half against Essendon had been ugly but he didn't quite realise just how bad it was until walking off at half-time. When he looked up to see the scoreboard read Essendon 7.12, Fitzroy (blank) he commented to fellow Lions' first-gamer Simon Atkins that in all his Western Oval playing days he could never remember the scoreboard breaking down. "What do you mean?" asked Atkins. "Well, look, there's no score next to Fitzroy," said Hawkins. Noted Atkins: "That's because we haven't scored, you idiot."

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/7081/doughawkins3.jpg