BODY PRESSURE SNAPS THE ‘BIG TEDDY BEAR’
TWO-TIME Geelong premiership forward Cameron Mooney says constant body pressure from defenders could be to blame for big Cat Tom Hawkins’ persistent issues with fines and suspensions.
While Hawkins is free to face the Eagles after successfully challenging a one-match ban for striking Fremantle’s Luke Ryan, Monday night’s clash was the fifth time in 14 months the veteran had been charged with striking an opponent.
Quizzed on a concerning trend that has seen Hawkins receive 10 sanctions since early 2016 — but none totalling more than two weeks — Mooney offered sympathy.
“I find it happens a bit with forwards and I’m probably the right one to talk about it,” Mooney said.
“You are constantly getting held on to. You probably don’t get as many free kicks as you think you deserve.
“You are getting bumped all the time and get blocked when you go to lead.
“Ask any forward, after weeks or months of that, it starts to get frustrating.”
Mooney, who had his fair share of run-ins with umpires and the match review panel in his 221-game career, also revealed he tried to make Hawkins more aggressive on the field when the duo were teammates a decade ago.
But Hawkins was simply “too nice”, Mooney said.
“He’s a big teddy bear,” Mooney said.
“I tried for years to get a bit of mongrel in him, but it never happened. He’s just too nice.
“His wife Emma told me one day: ‘He’s just too nice.’
“He’s not a malicious person and doesn’t get into fights or do boxing.”
Mooney said the right result was achieved when Hawkins got a fine for the Fremantle incident.
“If there was a class for stupidity, it would probably be that,” he said.
“A lot of actions would come under that.
“It didn’t deserve a week. It wasn’t hard or malicious.
“Probably just a fine and clip over the ear would have been enough. My daughter has hit me harder than that.
“I was more laughing at Ryan’s reaction and falling over like a sniper had got him.”