Tom Hawkins continues to defy father time in 2023, once again spearheading the Cats forward line in his 17th season with the club.
Hawkins has booted 27 goals across his last eight matches to take his tally to 30 majors for the season, currently sitting fourth in the league despite an interrupted pre-season.
The feat is not a rare one for Hawkins, who has finished inside the top-five goal-kickers in each of the past five seasons.
Perhaps more remarkably however has been his ability to involve teammates, dishing off 16 goal assists in the 2023 season to sit third in the competition in that category.
Hawkins said that following a foot injury at the end of last year, his priority was to get himself to full fitness and build throughout the season.
"At this stage for me, my priority is my body and trying to get it physically as best prepared, then maintaining a certain level throughout the year,” he said.
“I'm forever tinkering with ideas and little ways to improve. So far, my body has been pretty sound.
“I'm really enjoying the game; it's evolved and changed so much and I've loved trying to adapt with it. I love the environment I'm in, I'm really enjoying that."
Hawkins has been a picture of consistency for Geelong across his career, remarkably only being held goalless in three of his last 64 games.
Goal-kicking has become a hot topic across the AFL the past few weeks, but Hawkins has always proven to be reliable in front of goal for the Cats.
Kicking at over 70% accuracy this season and around 64% for his career, the big Cat ranks as one of the most accurate forwards in AFL history.
Hawkins shared his thoughts on the goal-kicking craft, and his approach to finding accuracy in front of the big sticks.
"I find it fascinating, the art of goal-kicking. For me, I go through ebbs and flows each year,” he told media at AWA Stadium in Belmont on Tuesday.
“I've always thought of goal-kicking and the art as trying to be as consistent as you possibly can, no-one has ever mastered it in their time in football.
“For me and my experience, particularly early on I was finding my feet with my routine. But now I'm quite a simple thinker of the game, for me it was keeping things as simple as I could.”
Geelong will face the Western Bulldogs this weekend, an important clash for the Cats before they enjoy their mid-season bye next week.
Hawkins said the team is looking forward to the challenge this weekend, against an in-form Dogs team.
“We've got a great challenge this weekend, the Doggies under the lid at Marvel who pose a big threat,” he said.
“Certainly, from our point of view everyone is eager, we've got our minds set on this weekend and trying to wrestle back a bit of momentum that we've probably lost the last couple of weeks.”
