Tom Hawkins celebrates a goal during the match between St Kilda and Geelong at Marvel Stadium in round 23, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

The AFL wishes to congratulate the Geelong Cats' Tom Hawkins ahead of his 350th AFL game this round.

Hawkins is set to become the 24th player in VFL/AFL history to reach the milestone, following on from Port Adelaide's Travis Boak last week, and the AFL salutes him as one of the outstanding key forwards of the current era.

The three-time premiership player has kicked 786 goals and sits 14th on the all-time VFL/AFL goal kickers list.  

AFL Chief Executive Andrew Dillon said Hawkins would be remembered for his size and power, coupled with his marking ability and speed off the mark, that made him a formidable member of the Cats' forward line across his career.

"Tom has been an all-time great of the Geelong Football Club and a central part of their successful era across the last 17 seasons. The AFL congratulates him for this significant milestone of 350 games, achieved by so few players, and join with everyone across the competition in lauding the mark he has left on our game.

"I am sure the Cats' fans will be out in force to celebrate his career next Monday and he stands as one of the great players of this era," Mr Dillon said.

Tom Hawkins lifts the premiership cup after the Toyota AFL Grand Final between Geelong and Sydney at the MCG on September 24, 2022. Picture: AFL Photos

Hawkins was the 2020 Coleman medallist and has been named in the All-Australian team on five separate occasions.

He was named the All Australian captain in 2022 – the year of Geelong's most recent premiership.

Hawkins was a father-son selection taken at pick 41 in the 2006 AFL Draft. He made his debut in Round Two in 2007, kicking three goals against Carlton.

The AFL's historian has compiled several statistics ahead of Hawkins' milestone game:

  • Three-time premiership player – 2009, '11, '22
  • Five-time All Australian – 2012, '19, '20, '21, '22 as captain
  • Coleman Medallist – 2020
  • Hawkins and Gary Ablett Snr are the only players to have been named in the AFL All Australian team four times after turning 30 years old.
  • He is set to become the 16th player to reach 350 games as a one-club player.
  • Hawkins won the 2012 Carji Greeves medal. Podium finish on three separate occasions.
  • Hawkins was Geelong's leading goal kicker in 11 consecutive seasons (2012-22) which is the third longest club streak by any VFL/AFL player. Gordon Coventry won 16 in a row at Collingwood and Bill Mohr won 12 straight at St Kilda.
  • It will have taken Hawkins 16 years and 360 days from debut to game 350 – the 18th quickest to reach the milestone.
  • In the 18 team AFL era, Hawkins has played the most games (270, equal with Luke Parker) and kicked the most goals (679, 64 ahead of Lance Franklin).
  • Hawkins has played in 32 finals, which is the fourth most in VFL/AFL history.  He has kicked goals in 26 separate finals, second only to Gordon Coventry (28).
  • He has played in 246 wins – the fifth most in VFL/AFL history.
  • Hawkins has featured in 12 VFL/AFL games decided by a kick after the siren – the most of any player. His record from those games is eight wins, three losses and a draw. Hawkins was the kicker in two of those games – he kicked a goal to defeat Hawthorn in 2012 and a behind to draw with the GWS GIANTS in 2017.
  • Tom and his father Jack have played a combined 531 games. They are one of 10 father son pairs to have played more than 500 combined VFL/AFL games.
  • Hawkins has kicked at least one goal in 299 separate games. He is set to become the fifth player to kick a goal in 300 VFL/AFL games.
  • Hawkins has missed 61 games since making his debut.
  • In 2017, he became the 150th person to play in 150 wins.
  • He played in 305 games as a teammate with Joel Selwood – the second most by any pairing (Andrew McLeod & Tyson Edwards played 307 games together).
  • Selwood and Hawkins won a record 217 games as teammates. The next highest is 193 wins by Kevin Bartlett and Francis Bourke. Hawkins/Selwood and Bartlett/Bourke are the only pairings to win premierships as teammates in three different decades.
  • Hawkins has played in 97 wins at GMHBA Stadium, sharing the record with Joel Selwood.
  • He has kicked 270 goals at GMHBA Stadium, the third most at the venue behind Doug Wade (413) and Gary Ablett Snr (391). Hawkins has kicked goals in 101 games at the venue, which is the stadium record.
  • Hawkins has played alongside 130 teammates and has played more than 100 games with 27 of them.
  • Hawkins' win/loss record in 50 game spans:
    • Best:  43-7  (2007-10)
    • Worst:  30-20 (2017-20)
Tom Hawkins, wife Emma and children Arabella, Primrose and Henry pose for a photo at GMHBA Stadium on March 26, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos
Most games played alongside Tom Hawkins
Games Teammate W-L-D
305 Joel Selwood 217-87-1
254 Mitch Duncan 181-71-2
241 Harry Taylor 173-66-2
239 Mark Blicavs 159-77-3
225 Cameron Guthrie 151-72-2
193 Andrew Mackie 143-48-2
180 Corey Enright 134-45-1
170 Jimmy Bartel 128-41-1
166 Jake Kolodjashnij 110-53-3
162 Tom Lonergan 116-44-2
 
Most games played against Tom Hawkins
Games Opponent Hawkins W-L-D record
25 Scott Pendlebury 13-12
23 Luke Breust 14-9
22 Shaun Burgoyne 14-8
22 Jack Gunston 12-10
20 Isaac Smith 12-8
20 Luke Parker 11-8-1
20 Steele Sidebottom 10-10
20 Bradley Hill 12-8
20 Jordan Lewis 13-7
20 Liam Shiels 11-9