Tom Hawkins

[meto]

As the Pods said it, I owe alot to the chopout provided by Tom Hawkins, without him I wouldn't have got my 8 goals.

The big Power body makes all the difference, what Brisbane did to us early we did to them latter with our two big lads.

Congrats Tom for your 3 goals and 2 by direct assist, the big fella's worth his weight in gold.

 

[alfy!]

Re: Big Tom

Now to just work on his set shot kicking. Man he looked shoddy a couple of times and should have kicked 5 IIRC.

 

[Gaz_Brownlow]

Re: Big Tom

Important thing is that he is clunking a few and providing a repetitive target. The rest will look after itself. Needs to back it up now!

Still haven't found it if Carey actually had a word with him? Would be interested to know if he has isolated a few things for Tom to work on.

 

[meto]

Re: Big Tom

Now to just work on his set shot kicking. Man he looked shoddy a couple of times and should have kicked 5 IIRC.

Good point! should've, I loved the one he pulled from a boundary throw in and gave it off to Joel Corey for a goal, that's why I love that 2nd big forward, apart from the ruck/fwd that Vardy is.
Has he put on some size?? bigger in the arms I think, he's a very big unit, that's for sure!

 

[vegemite]

Re: Big Tom

Important thing is that he is clunking a few and providing a repetitive target. The rest will look after itself. Needs to back it up now!

Still haven't found it if Carey actually had a word with him? Would be interested to know if he has isolated a few things for Tom to work on.

I think the best thing about his game was that when the game was in the balance, he took the game by the scruff and made a huge / the difference - even during his best games, he hasn't really done this. Vardy's got a big future but hes struggling at the minute like a few other youngn's (T Hunt, Duncan, Menzel). Hawkins does and always has looked like the better option.

 

[Sttew]

Re: Big Tom

Best game I have seen Tom play since 2007. He missed a few in 1q but presented really well. Last quarter was what we had dreamed he could do.

Has the Duck started mentoring Tom? Looked like he has.

 

[The 747]

Re: Big Tom

He does look bigger. And instead of looking like he was lucky to be there he looked a lot...meaner? Or something.....most of the time when I have seen him play he has looked like a kid given a go, just trying not too stuff up.

Ran a lot less like a prancing horse too.....

 

[woodyman]

Re: Big Tom

very impressed, get the kicking right and he could be anything!!

 

[AM]

Re: Big Tom

I put my hand up as being biased when it comes to Tom. He went out of his way to help a family friend who was doing it tough and wanted no publicity. He also took the trouble to make contact with her down the track to see how she was travelling. He’s a top bloke. It’s great to see him getting some credit.

As I posted in another thread there were times at the weekend when he lost concentration and became a spectator. One occasion that stood out for me was when Pods was running toward goal to mark. Tom should have put a block on his opponent. Instead he let him get to Pods which turned what should have been a mark under no pressure into a hotly contested one.

He still has a way to go in some other areas too, but Sunday showed we need him in the team and firing. Especially as we approach the time when it really counts.

 

[you pick one]

Re: Big Tom

Best game I have seen Tom play since 2007. He missed a few in 1q but presented really well. Last quarter was what we had dreamed he could do.

Has the Duck started mentoring Tom? Looked like he has.

Don't know but I'm told he's doing ruck drills with Crackers Keenan this week.

 

[bobbycatsfanme]

Re: Big Tom

I put my hand up as being biased when it comes to Tom. He went out of his way to help a family friend who was doing it tough and wanted no publicity. He also took the trouble to make contact with her down the track to see how she was travelling. He’s a top bloke. It’s great to see him getting some credit.

As I posted in another thread there were times at the weekend when he lost concentration and became a spectator. One occasion that stood out for me was when Pods was running toward goal to mark. Tom should have put a block on his opponent. Instead he let him get to Pods which turned what should have been a mark under no pressure into a hotly contested one.

He still has a way to go in some other areas too, but Sunday showed we need him in the team and firing. Especially as we approach the time when it really counts.

why do you reckon he looks like he's spectating at times? I have wondered this myself and obviously have never played the game at an elite level so I'm not sure if it's possibly fatigue or whether it's all just confidence.

 

[The 747]

Re: Big Tom

He doesn't work hard enough all the time.

And he is not that quick so I suspect if he thinks he will not get to a contest he doesn't try.

And he does seem to slack off a bit mentally after doing something good.

But those can be fixed and fixed in the senior side if he keeps marking the ball and putting it on the scoreboard.

Really noticed a contrast between his positioning as a KPF - which was almost perfect - and his positioning as a mobile ruck which is terrible.

 

[Sttew]

Re: Big Tom

Look how long it took Travis Cloke and Kennedy at WCE to pay dividends.

 

[Turbocat]

Re: Big Tom

I have said this from almost the start. Confidence is the be all and end all with Tom. One could almost see it in the last quarter , he took a couple of marks , he felt in control enough that by the third mark it was a high quality grab.

His confidence gets eroded and I feel at its basis is his conversion. The more he converts , the less pressure he will feel and be more relaxed and then probably convert more. The more he feels reliable the more he will want to get to contests and the more marks he will grab.

I wonder if he was given the role of kicking the football in from full back.. would he approach like Milton the Monster , all tense and rigid? I doubt it. He will never be reliable with this approach , imo.

 

[OldStyle2007]

Re: Big Tom

He seems to have changed his run and jump at the ball and yesterday he was actually catching the pill while he was still on the rise or at the peak of his jump, rather than his former method of catching it on the way back down

Much more effective to get at it on the up you have more momentum and it's harder for the backmen to get to you earlier in the leap

 

[SJ]

Re: Big Tom

Look how long it took Travis Cloke and Kennedy at WCE to pay dividends.

Didn't see them playing ruck either.

 

[Copernicus]

Re: Big Tom

It was good to see him have an impact for the first time this year, really. And the best sign for me was that he was mostly one-grabbing them. Okay, so there was that one in the last where he took two bites of the cherry, but by and large his hands were strong. Should have ended up with at least five, but at least he was making, and comprehensively winning contests, rather than appearing totally lost as he has at times previously this year.

I just hope he doesn't have to spend too much time in the ruck over the rest of the year, but I imagine he may have to.

 

[bulletproof]

Re: Big Tom

I don't know why but I have never wanted a Geelong player to do well quite like him. I think it is the bashing he gets from everywhere for his, admittedly sub par, performances. I feel protective of him.

I get the impression he is a very popular member of the squad. If he comes good - but let's be realistic these were only very small steps against a shocking team - the momentum and belief will soar.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Re: Big Tom

Didn't see them playing ruck either.

Hopefully they (coaching staff) have finally seen the light and that one has been consigned to the videos of history.

 

[moond0g]

Re: Big Tom

, I loved the one he pulled from a boundary throw in and gave it off to Joel Corey for a goal, that's why I love that 2nd big forward, apart from the ruck/fwd that Vardy is.

this

dont get me wrong we all loved the marks, each one was better than the last.

however you could just see his his confidence oozing out when he took that ball out of the ruck. even though he has spent the past year and a half rucking, this was also the best piece of ruckwork he has done.

it just looked like he was saying i'm going to grab this ball and no ones going to stop me, i know i could give away a free but i'm not scared. this is something he hasnt done in the past, he seems almost timid and afraid to use his bulk.

best i reckon ive seen him play for a long long time, and i know it was only against brisbane, but its a start, and its not like we were running away with it at the time.

hopefully this is the first step towards becoming the player we want / think he can become.

 

[meto]

Re: Big Tom

Since when has Pods kicked eight and we kicked 20, his inclusion was invaluable, now it's up to the smaller forwards to extract the digit and we'll have potentcy.

The inclusion of Menzel up forward will add some teeth as well.
Duncan likes a goal too.

 

[RegHickeyStand]

Re: Big Tom

Hopefully they (coaching staff) have finally seen the light and that one has been consigned to the videos of history.

Perfect example of the Bobby Davis quip "He was a good footballer, until they taught him how to play."

 

[Partridge]

Re: Big Tom

He does look bigger. And instead of looking like he was lucky to be there he looked a lot...meaner? Or something.....most of the time when I have seen him play he has looked like a kid given a go, just trying not too stuff up.

Ran a lot less like a prancing horse too.....

Absolutely. Well said. The longer he stayed in the goalsquare you could see the confidence almost growing by the second. Plus the nice reassurance that he is now and always will be a key forward. NOT a ruckman.

All he needs it games in the goalsquare, and belief in his own abilities. He has the talent. He was shaking the Brisbane defenders off like flies at times.

 

[Claude Balls]

Re: Big Tom

He seems to have changed his run and jump at the ball and yesterday he was actually catching the pill while he was still on the rise or at the peak of his jump, rather than his former method of catching it on the way back down

Much more effective to get at it on the up you have more momentum and it's harder for the backmen to get to you earlier in the leap

Ha, gave me a chuckle. Former method...

 

[bobbycatsfanme]

Re: Big Tom

His kicking is almost similar to Buddy Franklin, the ball takes a complete right ark from the right foot. He'd probably be a surprisingly accurate shot from the left pockets anywhere upto 50 metres out