Is Tom Hawkins criminally underrated?

[Judd2Sewell]

He's in career best form. I don't think he was underrated prior to this season, but you have to change your evaluation after seeing what he's producing now.

 

[Lunchlady Doris]

He's been good, but an underrated part of being a top level player is turning up, which averages like these ignore.

This person doesn't know how averages work?

 

[Seeds]

He's been good, but an underrated part of being a top level player is turning up, which averages like these ignore.

Huh? That makes zero sense.

 

[PhatBoy]

He's been good, but an underrated part of being a top level player is turning up, which averages like these ignore.

He's missed two games.

 

[Pack Specialist]

Among 191cm+ forwards to played 13/17 games (equivalent to 17/22 across the year) in 2018 so far:

Goals Per Game
1. Ben Brown - 3.06
2. Lance Franklin - 3.00
3. Tom Hawkins - 2.73
4. Jack Darling - 2.62
5. Jesse Hogan / Jack Riewoldt - 2.41

Score Involvements Per Game
1. Lance Franklin - 8.50
2. Tom Hawkins - 8.07
3. Jack Darling - 7.77
4. Jesse Hogan - 7.35
5. Jack Gunston - 6.88

Inside 50s Per Game
1. Lance Franklin - 5.00
2. Jack Riewoldt - 3.65
3. Charlie Curnow - 3.27
4. Jack Gunston - 2.94
5. Jesse Hogan - 2.88

Goal Assists Per Game
1. Tom Hawkins - 1.20
2. Jack Riewoldt - 0.88
3. Lance Franklin - 0.86
4. Jack Darling - 0.85
5. Ben Brown / Jarryd Roughead - 0.76

Marks Per Game
1. Tom Hawkins - 7.07
2. Jack Darling - 7.00
3. Lance Franklin - 6.93
4. Charlie Curnow - 6.40
5. Jesse Hogan - 6.29

Contested Marks Per Game
1. Jack Darling - 2.85
2. Tom Hawkins - 2.40
3. Jack Riewoldt - 1.94
4. Charlie Curnow - 1.93
5. Ben Brown - 1.88

Marks Inside 50 Per Game
1. Tom Hawkins - 3.40
2. Lance Franklin - 3.29
3. Jack Darling - 3.23
4. Jack Riewoldt - 3.06
5. Ben Brown - 2.82

Tackles Inside 50 Per Game
1. Jack Riewoldt - 1.47
2. Tom Hawkins - 1.40
3. Charlie Dixon - 1.18
4. Jack Watts - 1.14
5. Josh Jenkins - 1.06

If we're then affording a 5-4-3-2-1 points scale to each of these categories (eg. #1 ranking equals 5 points, #2 equals 4 points, and so on), then the players would be ranked like so:

1. Tom Hawkins - 30 points (of a possible 40 points)
2. Lance Franklin - 24 points
3. Jack Darling - 21 points
4. Jack Riewoldt - 19 points
5. Ben Brown - 8 points
6. Charlie Curnow - 7 points
7. Jesse Hogan - 5 points
8. Jack Gunston / Charlie Dixon - 3 points
9. Jack Watts / Josh Jenkins / Jarryd Roughead - 1 point

Shows that Hawkins is consistent, versatile, and prolific, perhaps moreso than any other key forward this season.

You win the internet Damon.

 

[Pack Specialist]

Must be better then Gary Ablett senior in the other 15 per cent to kick 50 goals every year.

After this season Hawkins will be 7x Geelong leading goal kicker.

Senior has 9.

Hawkins has been remarkably consistent.

 

[Seeds]

He’s had his one good game now for two years of s**t

50 goals last year and on track for it again. And on top of that he is one of the best key forwards in goal assists, marks and tackles. You know your football.

 

[Seeds]

After this season Hawkins will be 7x Geelong leading goal kicker.

Senior has 9.

Hawkins has been remarkably consistent.

To be fair to Ablett he did spend some years mostly on the wing/half forward flank whilst he also competed with brownless and excell for leading goal kicker. But regardless your point is pretty valid. Hawkins consistently year after year kicks 2 plus goals per game.

 

[Pack Specialist]

To be fair to Ablett he did spend some years mostly on the wing/half forward flank whilst he also competed with brownless and excell for leading goal kicker. But regardless your point is pretty valid. Hawkins consistently year after year kicks 2 plus goals per game.

If Ablett had played permanent forward it is no exaggeration to think he could have 1500 goals.

My point was that Hawkins is remarkably consistent for the Club, this will be 7 straight seasons of 45+ goals.

Remarkable considering he's had a back injury for half of that timeframe.

 

[Pack Specialist]

50 goals last year and on track for it again. And on top of that he is one of the best key forwards in goal assists, marks and tackles. You know your football.

He'll make AA IMO.

Brown - FF
Hawkins - CHF
Buddy - HFF

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

He’s in form ....good to see

Clunking marks and kicking straight

Being a full forward isn’t “Rocket Surgery”.....Catch it....kick it straight

He's often playing more as a centre half forward these days though and it's kind of where the old school Robert Walls 'give him a run in the ruck' thinking works.

He's kicking goals obviously, but he's gone to another level this year because he's become dangerous around the ground and he could conceivably have a game where he kicks 0-1 goals and still feature in Geelong's best. That never used to be the case.

It's never been as pronounced as someone like Cam Mooney or Matthew Richardson (even Buddy at times), but like them, Tom's always been a beautiful kick when he's been around the ground and hasn't had to worry about the big sticks.

 

[dave123]

He's often playing more as a centre half forward these days though and it's kind of where the old school Robert Walls 'give him a run in the ruck' thinking works.

He's kicking goals obviously, but he's gone to another level this year because he's become dangerous around the ground and he could conceivably have a game where he kicks 0-1 goals and still feature in Geelong's best. That never used to be the case.

It's never been as pronounced as someone like Cam Mooney or Matthew Richardson (even Buddy at times), but like them, Tom's always been a beautiful kick when he's been around the ground and hasn't had to worry about the big sticks.

Yup to all of that

 

[dave123]

He'll make AA IMO.

Brown - FF
Hawkins - CHF
Buddy - HFF

I know this will seem biased but darling deserves strong consideration

Missed games but was the form player of the comp for half the season

 

[Seeds]

I'm actually embarrassed for you

Yes but in Richmond’s minds goals from 1 percenters score you 12 points and not 6.

 

[Seeds]

I know this will seem biased but darling deserves strong consideration

Missed games but was the form player of the comp for half the season

Leading contested marker in the comp per game and third in avg score involvements per game. He deserves to be in discussion.

 

[Seeds]

He'll make AA IMO.

Brown - FF
Hawkins - CHF
Buddy - HFF

He will because they 90 percent weight the full forward on goals for in a season and love to give it to blokes who have weird hair cuts. He shouldn’t at this stage on a proper assessment of the stats. He ain’t even top 5 in score involvements per game. Hawkins and Franklin are streets ahead. Both have missed a couple of games as well which gets ignored when looking at goal kicking tables.

 

[dave123]

Leading contested marker in the comp per game and third in avg score involvements per game. He deserves to be in discussion.

I know he’s missed some footy but right now west coast without darling is a ship without a steering rudder

With him we are completely different.....he’s unbelievably good for us this year

 

[branedotorg]

to answer to the OP - not by the 7 commentary team, he'd be equal third with 'sparkle-narkle' behind only 'the little master' and 'danger'

 

[Pack Specialist]

I know this will seem biased but darling deserves strong consideration

Missed games but was the form player of the comp for half the season

I don't think it's biased, the numbers and the eye test firmly put Darling in this conversation.

I'm not trying to be biased about Hawkins, he's just been phenomenal this season.

 

[Forward Press]

He's been good, but an underrated part of being a top level player is turning up, which averages like these ignore.

See, this is good trolling.

No factual basis in rebutting actual facts by another poster, manages to get half a dozen to bite.

9/10, needed to shoe-horn a reference to Richmond somehow to make it 10/10.

 

[Forward Press]

I don't think it's biased, the numbers and the eye test firmly put Darling in this conversation.

I'm not trying to be biased about Hawkins, he's just been phenomenal this season.

Darling will need to keep it up until the end of the year to re-enter the discussion but yesterday was very good.

I think it's only when he dragged you guys over the line against Melbourne that he is back in the frame. 7 goals plus the winning goal assist. Had been building nicely up to Saturday's game, sort of glad we don't play Geelong again this year.

 

[WWSD]

I can see him polling well in the Brownlow in the games that Geelong have won.

 

[Pack Specialist]

Darling will need to keep it up until the end of the year to re-enter the discussion but yesterday was very good.

I think it's only when he dragged you guys over the line against Melbourne that he is back in the frame. 7 goals plus the winning goal assist. Had been building nicely up to Saturday's game, sort of glad we don't play Geelong again this year.

Injury might be the biggest barrier for Darling this season but his great form should be recognised in the 40 at least.

Hawkins has kicked multiple goals for 11 straight rounds including the longest streak of 3 goals exactly in AFL history...bookended by efforts of 4 and now 7...

He's well and truly AA IMO.

 

[Pack Specialist]

I can see him polling well in the Brownlow in the games that Geelong have won.

If Buddy hasn't won a Brownlow I doubt any KPF ever will again.

Selwood will be a smoky IMO.

 

[eth-dog]

Yes. For me Hawkins' career isn't quite as good as Buddy's but of the players in this era he's either the best of the rest (talking your Walker's, Cloke's, Roughead's, Jack Riewoldt's of the world) or slightly behind JJK and Riewoldt. His 2014 was a great year, he kicked 28 goals in 12 games against top 8 opponents, and has had a good record against strong sides for a number of years.