The Role Hawkins Should Play

[Byron2008]

We all know the answer to he's real problem..

He's soft... He really is playing soft.. Regardless of his marking woes or poor kicking, he should (at the very least) be crashing packs and providing a strong marking contest, bringing the ball to ground.. that has nothing to do with form..

He simply needs to look at himself in the mirror, realise that he's a grown man, and start playing like one... I can understand kicking yips, marking problems, even motivational issues (for struggling sides), but just playing soft....no excuse for that stuff.

 

[Berserker26]

I'd agree that he isn't as physical as he should be, I think that he suffers from a lack of confidence. I've heard a number of people - Robert Shaw being the most recent - state that he probably won't play his best footy until he's about 24. Shaw also mentioned that he thought he was just hitting his straps when he broke his foot a ways back.

Also worth remembering the Tom Lonergan example - how long has it taken him to reach top form, even when you account for the 2006 injury?

Tom Lonergan is a slightly different circumstance tho - he was struggling to get a game, and had move from forwardline to backline after the departure of Harley.

Hawkins is playing each week no matter how well we judge his performance.

 

[Catsace]

Let's compare him to another big unit for another side, Chris Dawes. Up to about one calendar year ago, he was just a young sort of bloke (drafted at 13 in the 2006 Draft) the same age as Tom. He had a couple of injuries in his earlier days and played a handful of games. Suddenly Chris gets into the Magpie's side about 1/3 of the way through the year and now has become this ethereal presence of power, tackling dynamism and almost all things great. And he's played maybe 35 games tops!!!

Is there anything Dawes has physically that Tom doesn't have? And is there a reason Tom cannot say to himself, well if he can do what he's doing...couldn't i be doing similar stuff? Tom's been pretty handy in his new role as the alternative ruckman to Ottens with the sub rule making Blake/West types redundant, but as a forward i amsure Tom has the tools to replicate what Dawes does for Collingwood. I know they also have Cloke, we probably have Pods as the 'main tall' but it just seems to me that it can be done, Tom's still very young and hopefully he can 'click' like Chris has done at the Pies.

 

[Baudolino]

I know it's a massive over-simplification, but Dawes' goals-per-game ratio is almost identical to Hawkins. It's not as if Chris is basking in the reflected glory of a premiership win, but I do feel his impact has been slightly overrated as a goalscoring threat. I stress "slightly", but it's still a legit point.

 

[couchy555]

Some great Centre half forwards , Carey, Brereton, Brown, Hall, all had this mad angry mongrel dog about them that if you got close you could get Clobbered, fair or not fair, and over time they got suspended less but kept the agro.

Id get him to play with that kinda mentality, sacrifice a few early suspensions in his career if need be, just to get him playing to his potential.

The Tomahawk is a brutal, dangerous weapon, lets see him play to his namesake

 

[Lunchlady Doris]

Re: theres something wrong with tom hawkins

several things i have noticed, firstly, he never seems to hit a contested situation with any momentum, watching jack riewoldt and his older cousin nick, and even more so jonathan brown who is probably the best at it, they really charge into contested situations with a lot of momentum and force built up into an arial contest, where as hawkins seems to just stand there, stop and trott a little, then jump over the back, it makes it very easy for defenders to knock him out of the contest or nudge him off his feet when he does this, he has this mountain of a body which he never uses any of the strength close to its maximum

Ah yes, the infamous Crashpax ability, needs to be levelled up.

 

[you pick one]

Re: theres something wrong with tom hawkins

I to wouldn't mind a bit more physicality from Tom but I don't think at this stage it is his natural game.

Given he came strait from junior football into the most skillfully and clinical football team you are ever likely to see. I suggest no conscious decision or plan was ever put in place by Thompson to develop that side of his game, The crash and bash was left to Mooney at CHF ably helped out in latter years on the forward line by Max (tear in the eye now )Rooke.

A lot on this board over the off season including myself were critical of Hawkins playing in the ruck.I now believe this is the best thing for his development, get him up against the bigger bodies,keep him in the action where you can't avoid coping or handing one out.Build the confidence in the foot and body.

Under Scott I think we will see another Tom Hawkins develop this season not a Jonno Brown but a good honest hard at the contest footballer.

 

[stui magpie]

I know it's a massive over-simplification, but Dawes' goals-per-game ratio is almost identical to Hawkins. It's not as if Chris is basking in the reflected glory of a premiership win, but I do feel his impact has been slightly overrated as a goalscoring threat. I stress "slightly", but it's still a legit point.

Not wanting to intrude, I have a slight family connection with the Hawkins family and have been following his career. I would really like the kid to do well.

As a Collingwood supporter, the thing that Dawes brings that i haven't seen from Hawk is the physical presence and the sacrificial acts. Dawes value to Collingwood isn't just in the goals he kicks, but in the tap ons, the tackles, the shepherds; blocks etc where he makes the players around him better.

One guy on here said he saw a lot of Hawkins at U18's. I believe he and Dawes played in the same school team. I'd be interested in a comparison at that age.

For mine, Hawk looks like he's trying to hard to remember team rules and fighting his instincts. He is a big, athletic kid with a potentially damaging frame. He needs to be given some fairly simple instructions to compete, and compete hard. Don't watch, don't over think, just do. See ball; get ball or give to a team mate.

Be patient with him. I reckon he will reward you given time.

 

[Lunchlady Doris]

As a Collingwood supporter, the thing that Dawes brings that i haven't seen from Hawk is the physical presence and the sacrificial acts. Dawes value to Collingwood isn't just in the goals he kicks, but in the tap ons, the tackles, the shepherds; blocks etc where he makes the players around him better.

He's shown plenty of this, he just isn't involved in enough play to seem like it.

Did you watch the 09 PF between our two teams?

 

[Beth]

All I can say is Im now officially worried and not just about his spelling:

Tom Hawkins on Twitter

'Breaky Bomb' 15 inch sub, 10 scrambled eggs, 4 snags, 4 rashes of bacon, 3 hash browns and 6 slices of cheese.. A worthy challenge!

Tom Hawkins an hour later

I got threw half #disappointing #manvsfood

 

[kellykellykelly]

One guy on here said he saw a lot of Hawkins at U18's. I believe he and Dawes played in the same school team. I'd be interested in a comparison at that age.

By all reports Dawes was a bit of a plodder at this age, with Hawkins the better of the two.

 

[Catsace]

I just brought up Dawes as he is the same age as Hawk, and is a man of similar size. I think Tom can still be a fantastic player if something just 'clicks' with him like something clicked with Dawes last year. Again, he is just 22 y/o and to be honest i am confident that he will grow into his body and start asserting the huge presence his 197 cm and 100 kg must be. Perhaps once Mooney fades from the scene he will take more charge. As it is, Tom is doing quite a workably good job as the alternative ruckman, and if he can support Ottens well enough to mean Geelong loses little when Ottens rests, then that's a great thing for our club.

I think those who would consider trading him out or otherwise saying he won't make it should still just wait another year or two. The four seasons of development put into him i reckon will be repaid handsomely in the future for us.

 

[vinum coupe]

I think Dawes and Cloke are more important to the potency of the Pies than Hawkins is to the cats.

If that makes sense.

If Cloke or Dawes take a strong mark you sort of think 'shit, that is an indicator that they are getting on top'

Whereas I never feel that with Hawk.

Maybe one day we will need to rely on him and he may step up and deliver.
Maybe right now he is not expected to be that type of player.

I still say he runs to the wrong spots.
As Stui said above, maybe he is playing too much to instruction.

He wanted to tear the Hawks apart. You could see it. But he couldn't get a hold of the ball.

 

[Partridge]

For mine, Hawk looks like he's trying to hard to remember team rules and fighting his instincts. He is a big, athletic kid with a potentially damaging frame. He needs to be given some fairly simple instructions to compete, and compete hard. Don't watch, don't over think, just do. See ball; get ball or give to a team mate.

Be patient with him. I reckon he will reward you given time.

Couldn't agree more with this. Personally I think he listens far too much to other players queueing up to tell him what to do, rather than just following his instincts. Needs a bit more swagger about him.

 

[Vdubs]

Maybe I'm easily pleased, but I like what Hawkins IS doing and the way he is evolving. He's been asked to take on a rucking role, which DAWES is not called to do BTW, and he has shown good signs, and so far, the body is surviving. I still think and believe, he WILL be OUR most important player in a season or 3. Varcoe the most exciting, and Tom the most irreplaceable. And when Brown and Vardy mature, we have a lot to look forward to.

If only Dawson Simpson could get his act together, he has been around a few years now, and we will need a ready replacement for Ottens soonish. Unless my man Blake proves he is THAT man.