HAWKINS ON ‘SAV’

Geelong star Tom Hawkins is liking what he is seeing from fellow forward Esava Ratugolea. The 20-year-old played just his fourth game back from a serious leg break against GWS on Saturday, finishing with nine touches and four hit-outs. Hawkins admits Ratugolea still has a fair way to go in his development, but all the signs were encouraging that he would be a strong contributor at AFL level for the Cats. “As a teammate I love what Sav has been able to do,” Hawkins told K rock Football. “It’s not easy coming back from breaking your leg. He has put in a lot of hard work. “We know he came into the football club as quite a raw talent. He has got some pretty special attributes, some certainly I don’t have. “I can’t run and jump at the footy like he can. “So we will just keep encouraging him to do that.“Hawkins said it was crucial to give Ratugolea time to develop. “Key forwards — and Sav plays a bit in the ruck — they just tend to take a little bit longer,” he said. “I’ve really enjoyed watching him develop over his time at the football club and continue to enjoy the development he still has left in him.”