Tom Hawkins vs SA

[catempire]

Just finished watching the replay. My thoughts:

Firstly, it's important to point out that Hawkins is 197cm and was playing on a guy who was 185cm tall. Now, that's not to say everything he did today wasn't super impressive - it was. But it will be important to see how he fares against the better CHBs and full backs going around.

Kicked 6.1 as someone pointed out. Missed two shots for memory - one hit the post and one didn't make the distance from just inside 50m. All set shots for memory, except his second which was a classy gather at his feet and snap over his shoulder. Looks to be a very nice kick for goal - a bit like Nathan Ablett. The only question mark is the penetration he gets on his kicks but this is an area that can improve with coaching and strengthening.

Took about 12-14 marks, mostly inside 50 on the lead but quite a few contested either leading up the ground or man-on-men closer to goal. He played mainly out of the goalsquare but lead up the ground a fair bit, especially in the first half.

Mobility for someone that size was superb. He reminds me of a cross between young versions of Jono Brown and Carey in the way he moves. Not super quick but he will definitely trouble opponents of similar size - he troubled his 6'1" opponent today for mobility - beating him on the lead all day.

The thing I liked the most was his presence. He was a real focal point for the whole match. He read the play well and consistently drew several opponents to him. In this regard he was again like JB and WC.

Great signs. Can't wait to see him again and to see him tested against the bigger bodies and brighter prospects. Very exciting.

 

[ryan2000]

DAMN..................was very impresseive.

Reminded me of the kind of impact Lance Whitnall had when he first came to Carlton.

Strong Bodied
Impossing Forward
Good Kick
Footy smarts
Great Lead
Fantastic Mark

Is gonna be a very handy player for Geelong and with the size he is now, i could even see him having an impact in his first season.

You guys are very lucky!

 

[Portmanteau]

He looked a bit like Neitz to me today... but I can see why the Brown comparisons come through, he's a massive unit.

 

[ezbian]

He looked a bit like Neitz to me today... but I can see why the Brown comparisons come through, he's a massive unit.

He reminded me a little bit of Neitz. But I think that was because;
(a) He wore the #9
(b) He also wore his white shorts very harry high pants and tucked in, just like Neitz does
(c) He also seems to take small steps on the lead - again similar to Neitz.

I thought his marking was very JB though. Particularly his strength in the contest.

 

[carn_the_cattas]

People have said he reminds them of Brown, some say Neitz, others say Richardson and some have said Hall. It all sounds good.

 

[ezbian]

The word that springs to mind watching Tom is POWER.

He IS the power forward that we have craved for a long time.
Is he perfect, NO.His mobility might be questionable , he might struggle to convert 50+ out but positives far outway those.
He has the look a big Great Dane puppy , just too big too strong for those boys in Red.The way the VM team seems to look for him really shows the repsect they have for his hands , the double and tripple teaming by SA show the fear they have. He is a very good kick very straight and relaxed, maybe not as long as Rocca but still very accurate reliable set shot.

Boys , we better enjoy our 3rd round Father Son because this will be the last one without some sort of bidding. After watching all 4 games this weekend Tom has at least as much to offer as any of the other big name tall players. He could have gone #1 in a weaker draft , this year somewhere in the top ten.
We are looking at a supreme bargain!

Turbo,

Any reports on any of the others you saw this weekend.

One of my close mates really liked Jack Riewoldt, and is also claiming a kid by the name of hislop

 

[ablettjnr]

Turbo,

Any reports on any of the others you saw this weekend.

One of my close mates really liked Jack Riewoldt, and is also claiming a kid by the name of hislop

Hislop looks the goods. They said he hadn't been playing footy very long, so can only be a positive prospect.

Might be cheap too.

 

[fugsy]

Only saw the first half of the match...then fell asleep (yeah I know...blame sleeping patterns)

Hawkins looked awesome though and a cut above the rest. I was only watching it for him and to a lesser extent Prismall. Was some good talent on display though

 

[tomthabuddah]

So where does everyone think hawkins would go in the draft? Is he top 5?

 

[GeeCat]

Well, I spent a good portion of the match predominantly watching Tom, so I'll have to catch the replay later to solidify any thoughts on the other 40 odd players out there today.

By my calculations (and hopefully astute observations), Tom strung together a statline of 19 disposals (14 kicks, 5 handpasses), 12 marks (6 contested, 6 uncontested), 6 goals, 1 behind, 2 tackles, and 1 hit out. But they hardly tell the story of his game.

Has certainly packed on abit more meat since I last saw him, and had the obvious height (and weight) advantage over his opponents for the day (Predominantly Cunningham and Gallman, both of whom I think come in at the 185-188cm mark), though SA sent the extra man down back occasionally to double-team Tom (Chris Schmidt?).

That being said though, I suppose what impressed me most was his mobility against these guys, who you'd generally concede would beat Tom once the ball hit the deck and at every opportunity Tom misread the flight of the ball (Gallman tried playing a little wider off Tom at the beginning of the 4th, leading him out of the fifty, and trying to expose the difference in leg speed). But to his credit, Tom was smart enough in his reading of the play and quick enough to turn the defender inside out and beat him back to the ball.

It's these same smarts and ability to read ahead of the play and then make the necessary judgements on the incoming ball that allowed Tom to make up for the speed he conceded in his match-up.

 

[ablettjnr]

So where does everyone think hawkins would go in the draft? Is he top 5?

Hard to say. He hasn't really been talked about in these circles because its been known he was coming to Geelong. I would say top 10.

 

[jess_555]

I watched the game on Foxtel today and I AM SOOOOOO HAPPY!!!!

Tom Hawkins
This Hawkins kid is truely awesome! He has so much talent already and his big! Can't wait to see this kido play next year with the cattas. It wont be long till he plays in the snr's. ALTHOUGH as someone else said earlier Tom did play on someone who was much smaller than him so it would be great to see how good he is against some of the bigger guys. I look forward to pre season intra club games next year when we can see what he is made of. YAY! WATCH OUT KENT KINGSLEY THIS KIDO IS COMING TO PLAY!

Rhyce Prismall
Lill Prizza was impressive. He got heaps of possessions and has plenty of talent. HOPEFULLY Geelong can get this kido coz his coolness.

Jackson Sheringham
Jacko played in the VIC Country team and he did some pretty good moves around the ground. I didn't watch the whole of that game but from what I saw this kid look as good as his brother Tim (who plays in the VFL for Geelong incase you didn't realise).


Some of the "kids" playing today made Mackie look like he had [FONT=&quot]enormous[/FONT] muscles. LMAO They looked like they were gonna snap in half. It didn't matter coz the talent was so amazing. It was a great game to watch. The commentators said that about 2 thirds of the boys playing will get picked up by clubs (I think thats right lol). Just wait a few year and we will see these boys playing on each other in the big league.

 

[Turbocat]

Turbo,

Any reports on any of the others you saw this weekend.

One of my close mates really liked Jack Riewoldt, and is also claiming a kid by the name of hislop

Obsevations of the weekend,there was a few kids I liked the look of:

TAS
Hislop : A footballer , I believe he has been playing for the VFL side and looked above the level; seemed to have reasonably mature body

Riewoldt : Not Nick but a very promising tall player who may be quite versatile ; looked in a way similar to Grima when he played forward

Thorp : Started slow but like Riewoldt showed a flexability when placed back and on the ball. In a way similar to Dowler ; would be a handy kid I'd say

NT
Djerrkura : quite inpressed with this kid. I liked his poise and looked to have a nice sized body, similar to Wirrupanda

Anderson : Really was quite influential , providing run from the back. Bit of a ball magnet with good vision and pace.

Jethro Carma-Holt : This kid took the biggest mark of the weekend ; a real flashy forward type. Would be a handy type for a Rookie spot

VC
Hansen ; this kid has a nice set of hands and great motor that he use to maximize his opitunity to mark the ball. Similar in this way to Nick Riewoldt. Can play forward but played mostly back running of and creating forward options.Again another kid that will be good for someone

Ried; A bottom aged kid I believe but would be a highish pick most years. A lot of potential , I say the Dogs area bit spewy that his old man didnt play 100games for them.

WA
Gumbleton : A mark machine. Nice hands and draws the ball to him.PLays forward and back but im not sure of his kicking.He did tend to kick of 1 or 2 steps, it would be interesting to see how TomHawkins go's next to him

Vic Metro
Kruzer (spelling?) : A ruckmen too young for the 06 draft. Will be very early next year Id say.


I think you would find most recuiting dept. have an excess of data on these kids whereas Im only judging on 4 quarters. Some kids were quiet like Sellars. Other kids were missing like Selwood. Looks like the talent is plentiful this year and most clubs will get a very good kid. The trick is to get 3 or 4. Id love to add one or two of the very talented Aboriginals to our list.

 

[Jeremias]

watched the game today, and I must say he looked absolutely magnificent. He is a HUGE kid, and will still grow a lot. Does everything. Presents well, good skills, and uses his body exceptionally well.

He is definitely something to get excited about...you guys are very lucky to be getting a kid of his calibre in the 3rd round.

 

[Kegs44]

Hawkins was brilliant today, culd easily play for Geelong round 1 next year, just hope they dont expect too much from him early, cose if Geelong can make sure this kid doesnt feel too much pressure to solve there forward problem he culd become the next Jono Brown.
I know Ryce Prismall and seen him play alot of footy. Will be a gud player in the future and played very well today, but i'd wait to watch the next two games of the carnival before thinking too much about him. He was lucky to be picked in the squad afta his trial game form and the next two games will show where he is. He is still eligible to play TAC next year.
Dont get me wrong, I think he'll be a very good player, but wuld only pick him up late this year. I believe Brent will be better, but i do think Brent will be a star so thats nothing at all against Ryce.
Bachar Houli is a lively prospect too, and i have watched him for years. Didnt do much at all today compared too wat he is capable of. I beleive he is still struggling with injuries, but watch this kid closely, if he can regain full fitness, which he hasnt had for about a year, he will become fantastic small forward, swapping onto the ball.

 

[Lingsface]

His Twin brother Josh Harnett does he play footy?

Nar the carnival has been great so far, few good pacey types that we could use through our midfield and some nice sized boys taking some big marks.

 

[FieryNayta]

hahaha. I came to the geelong page to make a new thread regarding how awesome Hawkins looks. But i see that you guys are already all over it. Congrats on your pick-up and im only slightly....very jealous

Carved up the SA boys, hes big, tough and marketable. Will be the cornerstone of your club for the next 10 years.

 

[CF]

something to look forward too. I can't wait to watch the internet broadcasts on wednesday and hopefully see the boy fire

 

[jim boy]

From Realfooty

Another gun of a son to follow Scarlett and Ablett

June 26, 2006



Tom Hawkins, son of 'Jumping Jack', looks sure to answer Geelong's prayers for a power forward, writes Jake Niall

GEELONG knew it was getting a quality player when Tom Hawkins agreed to join the Cats under the father-son rule, but even the most bullish of Cats could not have envisaged the magnitude — in every sense — of their imminent good fortune.

Yesterday, on a bleak winter afternoon at Princes Park, the Cats had more cause for optimism and hope than in any game since the grand final of the pre-season competition.

How good is Hawkins? Well, after yesterday's game between the Victorian Metro and South Australian under-18 teams, a number of clubs immediately noted that the Cats had been gift-wrapped another gun son, this one a definite top-five pick in one of the strongest draft pools yet seen. "He plays with a presence you don't often see in a big player," said one club recruiter, who ranked him inside the top three in the draft had he been available.

Playing full-forward with a menacing presence redolent of a teenage Tony Lockett, Hawkins booted six goals, grabbing a dozen marks and overpowering his opponents with the kind of brutal power that the Cats, despite Cameron Mooney, have not possessed since the exit of Gary Ablett snr.

One official, projecting forward in time to the day when his club would have to stop Hawkins, remarked to his recruiting colleague: "You'll have to play with an axe on him."

Hawkins is 196 centimetres and built more like Jonathan Brown than Matthew Lappin. He is immensely powerful, with strong hands and is quick enough off the mark to suggest that he will be a very capable spearhead at AFL level.

He is not so much a chip off the old block, as a boulder that stands alone. If Hawkins will be known, at first, as the son of "Jumping Jack", the distinguished centre half-back from the 1970s and '80s, he would be better described as "Hulk Hawkins".

Jason McCartney, who knows Hawkins jnr from the Australian Institute of Sport academy squad where he is an assistant coach, had a one-word summary: "Star".

The ramifications of what Hawkins did yesterday would not be lost on the thousands of weary Geelong supporters who have waited for a decade, in vain, for the club to find a power forward to replace Barry Stoneham, Billy Brownless and especially Gary Ablett snr. The Cats have traded and spent many draft picks and dollars in their ceaseless quest for the key forward who would give them the forward line that might deliver a flag.

Since Gazza retired, Geelong has traded first and/or second round draft choices for Jason Mooney, Brett Spinks, Mitchell White and (ruckman-forward) Brad Ottens and have continued to draft speculative talls — Tom McCarthy, Henry Playfair, Charlie Gardiner, Nathan Ablett — in the hope that one will hold up a forward line.

While Mooney's unexpected arrival has been one of the few positives from 2006, Hawkins, on his display yesterday, could fill the black hole in attack — giving Geelong father-son bookends in Matthew Scarlett and the Hulking son of Jack, plus Gary Ablett jnr at Hawkins' feet.

Best of all for the Cats, under the current father-son rules, he costs them only a third-round draft choice. Having Hawkins in the bag already, Geelong recruiting manager Stephen Wells yesterday instructed his scouts NOT to watch Tom "too closely".

Most ominously for AFL full-backs, Hawkins, a New South Wales youngster who co-captains the Melbourne Grammar football team with Hawthorn's Xavier Ellis (as a school boarder he was controversially allowed to play for Victorian Metro), has been unable to train and do the kind of weights programs of his peers in the under 18s.

Needless to add, he doesn't need much leg work.

 

[catempire]

Another article. Don't know about the fairness of the Ablett remark. It's hardly comparing apples with apples...

Father-son pick compared to Lion
26 June 2006 Herald-Sun
David Hastie

GEELONG has finally unearthed the key forward its fans have been praying for.

Vic Metro forward Tom Hawkins, son of former Cat Jumpin' Jack Hawkins and Geelong's latest father-son signing, yesterday starred in Metro's 59-point demolition of South Australia, 17.13 (115) to 8.8 (56), with six goals.

The Melbourne Grammar boarder, playing at full-forward and centre half-forward, took 12 marks in a best-on-ground performance at Princes Park.

Vic Metro coach David Dickson was full of praise for the Sandringham Dragons big man.

``Big Jumpin' Jack put on a bit of a footy lesson for everyone,'' Dickson said. ``He's been working with us for about six to eight weeks and he's just come out of himself. I think he showed everyone today how good he is and will be down the track.'' Dickson had no reservations about comparing the 197cm, 95kg forward to Brisbane Lions' champion Jonathan Brown.

He said Hawkins had the build and the talent to walk straight into the AFL next year.

``I've got no doubt that he's the next Jonathan Brown,'' Dickson said. ``Tom's tough as they come. If he had've got hold of a couple of the South Australian blokes they would've been in trouble. He's big and mean and strong, and it's great.

``Tom came into our squad as maybe a full-forward or maybe a forward pocket player. Today he's shown that he's got a great footy brain and can lead up the ground and take strong grabs.

``Nathan Ablett is a good honest trier but this boy is all class.''

Apart from Hawkins it was an even performance by Metro.

Western Jets forward Rhyce Prismall, brother of Geelong midfielder Brent, was impressive with two goals, while Northern Knight Patrick Veszpremi, 16, showed skill and maturity beyond his years with 20 touches and a goal.

Dickson also singled out the leadership of Metro captain and Eastern Ranges onballer Leigh Adams, who had 21 possessions and six inside 50s.

``Our captain was sensational today. You can talk about your Gibbs and whoever else, but he really hurt them,'' Dickson said.

South Australian midfielders Bryce Gibbs and captain Tom Hurley both collected 34 touches and were SA's best.

Gibbs, touted as the No.1 draft pick, failed to have a major impact on the game.

In the other under-18 division one match, Vic Country held off Western Australia to win by 12 points, 14.8 (92) to 11.14 (80).

Gippsland Power forward Lachlan Hansen and Peel Thunder's Scott Gumbleton went head to head in an absorbing display. Midfielders Rob Eddy, Shaun Grigg and Lachlan George were among Country's best while twins Nathan and Mitchell Brown were also dominant.

WA onballer Leroy Jetta collected 26 touches, and captain Garry Moss had 30 possessions.

 

[fishman]

I turned on that game and thought 'its only under 18s, why watch it.'

IT HAD HAWKINS.... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I hang my head in shame and cry in my coffee.

 

[LongBomb]

``Nathan Ablett is a good honest trier but this boy is all class.''

What is the point/relevance of this comment?

 

[jess_555]

What is the point/relevance of this comment?

It's wierd isn't it. I don't get why he put that quote about Nath in there. Anyway Hawkins looks like his ready to go play in the snr's! From what I saw yesterday Tom is full of confidence and seem to have the right mindset. Nathan still has plenty of developing to do and he is obviously going to take time. To me Nath doesn't seem to have a whole lot of confidence yet but he has only played a handfull of games and his still very young and raw.

Yeah I don't know where my post is going so I'm just gonna stop writing there. lol

 

[Copernicus]

Can't wait to see this kid in action in the blue and white hoops. My only concern is about the weight of expectation. I hope young Tom is able to carry the population of Geelong on his shoulders, because I have a funny feeling that's what is going to happen.

 

[GeeCat]

His mobility might be questionable , he might struggle to convert 50+ out but positives far outway those.

I'd actually argue that his mobility is quite good for a boy his size. Certainly not exceptional, but it allowed him to double-back and turn his man inside out on more than one occasion.

I wouldn't be too concerned about his kicking distance either. He's shown the ability to boot the ball well beyond 50 on more than one occasion in the past.