GEELONG coach Chris Scott says he was confident veteran key forward Tom Hawkins would build form in games rather than undergoing a mini pre-season, following a limited summer on the track after undergoing major foot surgery in the weeks after last year’s Grand Final victory.

The five-time All-Australian didn’t transition back into the main group until the eve of the home and away season, beating the clock to return ahead of schedule and just in time to face Collingwood on the opening Friday night of the season.

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But after kicking only three goals in the first three rounds and looking short of a gallop, there were outside calls for the 34-year-old to build his fitness before returning to senior level.

Those calls have proven to be premature after the 2020 Coleman Medallist backed up a stellar fortnight before kicking a career-high eight goals against Essendon on Sunday, taking him to 22 goals after seven rounds on the back of 17 in a stellar three-week resurrection.

Scott said Hawkins has been rewarded after expressing his determination to build his conditioning in the two hours on the weekend, rather than exclusively during the week at GMHBA Stadium.

“He was the most important person in that decision-making process. He was really confident that it was the right way to go. The medical staff were confident that his specific injury was going to be OK,” Scott told reporters post-game after Geelong’s 28-point win on Sunday.  

“When it became a match fitness thing, as long as he was confident that he could work his way through it, especially given he is so structurally important to us, we were confident.

“Even if he wasn’t going as well as he is now, we made the decision to allow him to work his way into the season. I can make a pretty strong case that in the last few weeks in particular that Cameron becomes a harder player to opposition teams because of what Hawkins does. It was the reverse today.

“In terms of him getting back to his best, at some point, at 34, he is not going to be able to maintain this level. I don’t think he is going to come quickly, but he can’t do it forever. I still marvel at what he can do. He doesn’t look he is near the end to me.”

Scott was shocked Hawkins had never kicked more than seven goals across his 334-game career – he had done it three times before Sunday – but said it was reflective of the way the Finley product has always played the game.  

“I was surprised to hear that he’d never kicked eight before. My takeaway from that is he is such an unselfish player that he gives goals away,” Scott said.

“His whole career we’ve never set it up just around Hawk. He brings other players into the game. If he sees that others have a good match-up, he is happy to sacrifice to help them. I love him.”

After starting 2023 with three straight losses to be the first reigning premiers since North Melbourne in 1976 to be 0-3, Geelong has won its past four games to bounce back into the top eight and emerge its head above the win-loss ledger.

Scott tuned out of the noise around the Cats’ slow start to the season and wasn’t worried about a premiership hangover, even after the loss to Gold Coast in round three.

“I don’t hear it (the criticism after round three). If the compliments are coming now, I won’t hear it because I don’t listen to it. I assume that if the premiership team this year loses the first three next year, it will be a story. I get it,” Scott said.

“It’s not a matter of arguing with you about anything that was said about us, it’s more a product of us trying to get to the stage where we’re really confident we have the information internally and can respond to that.

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“That’s always a balance of not getting too critical when things are going against you and dropping your bundle and allowing that negative momentum to grab a hold, but also being real about what the problems are.

“The thing that gave me confidence in that first month was we felt we were across those things. It’s when you’re really confused that it's hard and you then think maybe we don’t have the answers internally, so we need to listen to some of the stuff on the outside, but we didn’t think we were in that position.”

Off-season signing Jack Bowes was subbed out of the game early in the first quarter after injuring his calf and could be set for some time on the sidelines, while Irishman Zach Tuohy was a late withdrawal due to back spasms during the week.

Essendon coach Brad Scott praised the performance of box office star Jake Stringer after the All-Australian produced one of the best games of his career in red and black.

The 29-year-old amassed 26 disposals, 20 contested possessions, 11 clearances, 529 metres gained and four goals in an effort that kept the Bombers in the game when they were down by 44 points at half-time.

“It’s a small sample size for me, but it is easily the best game I’ve seen him play,” Scott said post-game.

“He was great in round four against GWS, but that today – especially with what we asked him to do because Geelong are a big, strong side we asked him to get up around the ball – we asked him to compete and he had 20 contested possessions and he was really strong.

“While Jake will never make excuses, his groin injuries last year and some concussion stuff, those things really set him back in the pre-season.

“I get the frustration, you’d love to have him in great shape at the start of the season, but there were reasons why he wasn’t in perfect shape.

“I just thought today, what I was really impressed with was his effort in the contest. I thought he was fantastic in there.”

New Essendon key forward Sam Weideman also starred against the Cats, kicking a career-high five goals to follow up a strong game against Collingwood on Anzac Day.