Hawkins phone blunder dealt with by AFL warning

UPDATED: Geelong has been given an official warning by the AFL over Tom Hawkins’ use of a mobile phone during a prolonged delay in the Cats’ Easter Monday clash with the Hawks.

Hawkins was caught on camera holding a phone that was given to him by a club official, prompting an AFL investigation due to the blanket ban on players using mobile phones during games for integrity reasons.

The AFL has previously slapped Collingwood with a $20,000 fine for a similar incident, but chose a lighter sanction for Geelong due to the fact that the phone handed to Hawkins was given to him by one of the Cats’ 10 officials who is allowed to use a phone during games.

“The Geelong Cats have today formally provided an explanation on the mobile phone use by player Tom Hawkins in the change room during the lightening break at yesterday’s match,” the AFL said in a statement released on Tuesday afternoon.

“The official who handed Hawkins the phone is one of the club’s authorised device users (each club has 10, plus four media staff), and he was showing Hawkins the weather radar.

“Geelong reinforced to the AFL that all player and staff phones (those not authorised device users), were securely locked in a case as per standard process to comply with the AFL rules.

“While the interaction was unintentional, it serves as an important reminder to all clubs that mobile phone usage is restricted to only authorised device users during the duration of a match.”

The Easter Monday clash was delayed because of severe weather around the MCG before Geelong ran away 36-point victors.