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In honour of Tom Hawkins 350th game today: What’s the secret to his success?

Here’s an imposing stat about an imposing figure. Over the course of Tom Hawkins’ career, no player in the competition has delivered more score assists. That’s to sit alongside the 786 goals he has kicked for himself.

It leads long-time brother-in-arms Joel Selwood to ponder. “He’s done it for so long even I took for granted how many goals he directly gave off,” Selwood said. “It makes you wonder: could we possibly have seen another 1000-goal full-forward in our era? The number of times he’s given off those assists when he’s inside 60 metres … ”

Hawkins says his philanthropy comes from being raised by “selfless” parents.

Father Jack (himself an affectionately remembered Geelong footballer) says that growing up in a big family on a farm in a small Riverina community with undermanned sports teams, it couldn’t be any other way. “You had to share everything,” he said.

Hawkins, himself, said simply that he always played to his strengths. “I run last in our time trials just about every year,” he said. “I focus on those things that make me a good player. I can read the game, move my feet, win one-on-ones. I just didn’t get too caught up in the fact that I can’t do some things on the footy field and narrowed it into what makes me a good player.”

Hawkins also knows what he has to do, but incidentally, also what he can get away with. By ritual, he eats a full packet of double-chocolate Tim Tams before every game, hence his club nickname, Tim Tam Tommy.

Read the full feature on Tom Hawkins here.