HAWKINS: BEING DISTANT DAD IS TOUGH
GEELONG’S Tom Hawkins is keeping one eye on the calendar to count down the days until the forward can return home after leaving his young family in Victoria.
Cats players and club staff flew to Sydney on Sunday under a promise from the AFL that they would return home within 32 days, which would be by August 7.
While Hawkins acknowledged the trip away — which will include multiple weeks in Perth — could be extended, he hopes to be home to help his wife, Emma, look after their daughters Arabella, 3, and Primrose, 1.
“As a player I am just expecting that things may change, whether that is games on the way home or tighter turnarounds, I’m not sure,” he said.
“We will get that information when that comes to us.
“From what my wife, Emma, has told me, the first few days of me being away has been pretty tough. Arabella hasn’t been sleeping and our youngest Mimi (Primrose) is teething.
“At this stage we know we are going to be back in 32 days, we will continue to work on that time frame.
“For me it’s more about their health and wellbeing with me being away. I can’t be there to give Emma a hand, we have a bit of family around Geelong but not a lot and with these restrictions Emma is going to be on her own a lot so it was really difficult (to leave her).
“I have a little bit of comfort knowing that I am not going to be away for more than 32 or 34 days.”
Hawkins said he and the club had held initial talks about allowing his family to join the group on their travels, but that appeared unlikely now.
Ahead of a best-on-ground performance against Gold Coast last weekend — in which Hawkins booted three goals and dished out four goal assists — the Cats spearhead spoke of how he and Emma are openly planning for life after retirement.
Although he is out of contract at the end of this season and turns 32 on July 21, the 261-game stalwart poured water on the idea this would be his last year in the game.
“I have done a couple of things where I have talked about life after football but I do want to make it crystal clear I do think I have a lot of football in me,” he said.
“There is no plan to retire at the end of the year or the end of 2021 or who knows, even 2022, I’m optimistic about how long I can play.”