The three-time premiership player, Cameron Ling, rest assures the 197cm forward, Tom Hawkins, who will miss this week's flight to Perth to rest his back, has the competitiveness and fight that’s required for finals' footy.

Ling strongly believes Hawkins has received unfair criticism for his contribution over the last few weeks, considering what he’s been able to achieve while suffering from a back impairment.

Hawkins has already kicked 45 goals this season, which is 11 ahead of Steven Motlop, who sits second on the tally for goals-kicked this year.

"He's had a reasonably good year, and he probably suffers in comparison to the very good years he had the previous two seasons," Ling told Sportal.

As Ling confirms, Hawkins knows when and how to stand up against the big guns, which he has done time and time again.

"He's the type of guy who will work his way through it and stand up in the big games against quality opponents and hopefully be a part of leading Geelong where they want to go to," Ling said.

"He's stood up on the biggest stage and has played a major role in winning a premiership."

Last week against Port Adelaide, Scott and Ling, along with many others, were appalled with how Hawkins was treated during play.

Ling believes people are forgetting how much the Cats relay on Hawkins, as he’s the Cat that steps up when his team needs him most. And for that, he will always be regarded as a formidable and important player at the Geelong Football Club.

"I agree fully with Scotty's comments about people booing him or Bronx cheering him, that's just ridiculous because he's a quality person, a quality player," Ling explained.

"It's an unfair perception of him. Tom Hawkins is a fierce competitor. He's a hard worker and a fierce competitor.

"What he is off the field is just a really lovely guy, so people confuse his casual off-field demeanour for his on-field persona.

"If you put out a highlights package of his last two years and you'll see the way he launches into packs. He either marks or the entire pack gets obliterated with him jumping into it.

"The 2011 Grand Final day shows you what an unbelievably ruthless competitor he is. He was playing on the All-Australian centre half-back and he led a team to victory on the biggest stage against the best opposition.

"Any talk that he is anything but competitive, ruthless and hard and a top quality footballer, is ridiculous talk."