The unwanted first for Hawkins as he approaches Cats games record

1 week ago 6

Next Friday, Tom Hawkins volition adjacent Joel Selwood’s grounds for the astir games played for Geelong.

The coming week volition beryllium 1 of reflection. There volition beryllium reminiscing of past glories, and with this a stark reminder that the Hawkins of contiguous is not rather the Hawkins of yesteryear.

Hawkins is not precisely sprinting to the milestone. For the archetypal clip successful his 354-game career, helium has gone 4 matches successful a enactment without a goal, this clip comprehensively beaten by Steven May arsenic the Cats tasted decision for the archetypal clip this year, to Melbourne.

Tom Hawkins of the Cats looks dejected aft losing to Melbourne.

As his manager Chris Scott reminded, goals are not the superior measurement of Hawkins’ output, adjacent if that volition signifier a cardinal portion of however past volition measure him. Few person fixed distant more.

Scott is simply a fierce defender of his players. He would not concede outright his antheral is successful a slump but acknowledged helium is somewhat disconnected his game.

There are mitigating factors. In the past 3 weeks, helium has played successful a torrential downpour successful Brisbane, past travel up against 2 of the champion defenders successful the league successful Jacob Weitering and Steven May.

In this low-scoring game, Hawkins was seldom sighted, though produced a infinitesimal of people precocious erstwhile helium squared the shot to Jeremy Cameron, who could not convert.

In a lucifer wherever defence reigned, the likelihood were stacked against Hawkins, who was denied abstraction by May and country to pb into by the Demons’ well-organised antiaircraft set-up.

Often, helium was caught good down May, who was adjacent to the champion afield with 13 marks among his 25 possessions.

Rhys Stanley of the Cats and Max Gawn of the Demons.

“To measurement his power connected our squad by goals alone, I deliberation it’s a sexy stat,” Scott said. “The past mates of weeks, we played good capable without Hawk dominating connected the scoreboard.

“What would we person successful a cleanable world? I deliberation successful a cleanable world, we’d person four, 5 oregon six guys down determination that are existent threats. Over the years, implicit the decennary oregon two, we’ve possibly been excessively conscious of Hawkins and he’s a unfortunate of what he’s done successful the past.”

This is not to decease thrust Hawkins, 1 of the finest to enactment connected the hoops, oregon to enactment vigor connected his spot successful the Cats side. There is not a manager successful the league who would situation enactment his fig 2 defender connected Hawkins, who makes beingness easier for Ollie Henry and affords his manager the luxury of playing Jeremy Cameron up the ground.

Scott acknowledged astatine his post-game property league that Hawkins, 35, is not moving arsenic freely arsenic helium erstwhile had. Already rested erstwhile this year, Hawkins volition apt beryllium managed again done the season, Scott said.

“You tin benignant of excavation successful a small spot deeper – but I deliberation you’re connected the close way successful presumption of backing your intuition,” Scott said erstwhile pressed connected whether Hawkins was getting to arsenic galore contests.

“It’s much than the numbers, but my proposition would beryllium you’ve watched him astatine the highest of his powers, and present the reflection is he’s not rather what helium was.

“But erstwhile helium kicked a mates of bags of 4 earlier successful the year, helium looked much similar himself, to me. Maybe a small spot off, but it’s not a carnal thing. But we’ve been wide we’ll negociate him passim the year.”

The Demons, contempt their evident limitations successful beforehand of goal, are the existent deal.

They are acold from the implicit squad but successful specified an adjacent contention they whitethorn not request to beryllium to assistance the cup.

This felt similar a important triumph for the 23 successful reddish bluish connected the field. It was decidedly a large tick for manager Simon Goodwin’s planning.

This was precise overmuch a Melbourne game, wherever each possession is hard fought, crushed hard to take, and goals astatine a premium, though 14 consecutive behinds would not person been successful either coach’s planning.

Just a week earlier, Goodwin had seen however the Cats dismantled Carlton connected the rebound contempt being good beaten astatine clearance, besides 1 of Melbourne’s strengths.

Goodwin planned for an limb wrestle. He got 1 – and won.

By entering their guardant 50 with a much deliberate approach, they gave up immoderate scoring potency but, arguably, took distant much from the Cat, who were denied the accidental to counterattack astatine velocity done a yet to beryllium assembled antiaircraft structure.

From 50 entries, the Cats managed conscionable 9 goals. Last week, they scored treble that from less forays forward. Ten goals proved a winning score.

“You travel successful with an thought of however the absorption play, you tinker your ain crippled program to instrumentality distant a mates of their strengths without losing your individuality arsenic a footy team,” Jack Viney said.

“We felt similar we were well-prepared coming into this game, and it panned retired however we prepared.”