It was Round 2 of the 2007 season against the Blues at Docklands.

The Cats, who would go on to break a 44 year premiership drought that season, were stacked across every line.

That night, Joel Corey had 32 disposals, Jimmy Bartel 30 and Gary Ablett Jnr had 28 and two goals. Cam Mooney and Nathan Ablett had five apiece. And there were others: Mackie, Chapman, Scarlett, the list goes on and on. 

But there was another name that would become pretty familiar running around that day as well: Tom Hawkins.

The big kid from Finley kicked three goals from eight disposals that day, which with all the expectations that surrounded the talented son of Jumping Jack Hawkins, was enough to get Cats fans dreaming of what could be.

Fast forward 17 seasons and Hawkins has surpassed the expectations of most people at the ground that night, and this weekend against the Swans, he’ll play his 333rd game, officially passing Corey Enright on the All Time Games Played list and moving into second spot behind Joel Selwood.  

Of course, a young Selwood was playing his second game that day as well and last season the pair would play their 300th game together as teammates, ultimately finishing on 305 when Selwood called time, two behind all time leaders Andrew McLeod and Tyson Edwards of Adelaide.

Hawkins spoke last year of what playing alongside Selwood has meant to him over the journey.

"He's one of my best friends," Hawkins said of Selwood.

"We knew a little bit about each other before we got drafted.

"I vividly remember where I was when Geelong called out his name, and I thought, 'how good is this'.

"I was really excited to play a year or two with him. I didn't think it would eventuate into 300 games together as teammates.’

It raises an enticing ‘what if’ that Geelong premiership captain Cameron Ling and AFLW player Renee Garing discussed on the To The Final Bell podcast last week.

“His great mate Joel Selwood is number one on 355 games… what’s that 23? Is he going to catch Sel?”, asked Ling.

Garing left the door open.

“They’ve very different players,” she said.

“So when you look at Tom Hawkins, he plays his role very well and I think people would say he’s been playing his best footy in the last few years and continues to dominate and is so difficult to play on.”