There are serious concerns for Geelong veteran Tom Hawkins after he went down with an innocuous foot injury against Carlton on Friday night.
The 35-year-old AFL star, who turns 36 next month, hit the ground when his foot failed beneath him as he tried to accelerate for a lead towards the ball in the third quarter.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Tom Hawkins goes down with innocuous foot injury.
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There didn’t appear to be a twist of the ankle in the incident, and there was clearly no contact from Hawkins’ direct opponent.
He was immediately taken down into the rooms and ruled out for the rest of the game.
“The big concern during that third quarter lies with Tom Hawkins,” Abbey Holmes said at three-quarter time.
“We saw the incident, it was very innocuous, there was no roll of the ankle or any change of direction, but he was in a lot of pain straight away and he just grabbed at that right foot.
“It was just as he went to explode off the mark.
“I have spoken to the Cats, he’s still down in the rooms, he will take no further part in tonight’s game.”
Brian Taylor was worried what it meant for the 359-game veteran.
“I think all of us are agreeing that we’re concerned for Tom Hawkins,” he said.
“The way it happened, the whole thing, is a worry.”
Matthew Richardson said it was “just the mechanism of it” that was of particular concern.
Triple M’s Rudi Edsall voiced what everyone was thinking.
“Massively concerned that’s a career-ender for Hawkins. Pretty torn up about it to be honest,” he said.
Supercoach expert Al Paton added: “Tom Hawkins was somehow 27 for a decade. Suddenly he’s 45.”
Hawkins watched most of the last quarter in the rooms with his wife and dad.
The Cats spearhead had already been struggling in the game with no goals from just three disposals.
Asked about the injury after the game Geelong coach Chris Scott wasn’t able to expand much.
“I can’t really give you much more. I can’t say the news is good news, but I’m not saying the news is bad either,” he said.
“He had to come off with a foot issue, it’s mid-foot.
“He has had a problem with his toe, so it’s a fair way away from that, it’s not the same injury.
“The experts we have don’t know so I certainly don’t have anything more to add.”
It soured an already disastrous night for the Cats, who were dominated by the Blues to lose 21.12 (138) to 11.9 (75).
It is second-placed Carlton’s highest score this season and a loud message to top side Sydney.
The result was far removed from their last clash, when Geelong won by 13 points on April 27 for a 7-0 start.
Since then, the Cats have lost six of their past seven.
This was Dangerfield’s first game in eight weeks, after suffering his second hamstring injury this season.
He racked up 17 possessions, but is certain to come under match review officer scrutiny for a dangerous tackle.
In front of 75,218 fans, the Blues were supreme as captain Patrick Cripps and ruck Tom De Koning starred and Charlie Curnow kicked five goals.
Cripps racked up 41 possessions and 13 clearances.
Blues stopper Alex Cincotta went out of the midfield and played on Cats star Tom Stewart in a defensive forward role.
Not only did Cincotta add Stewart to his impressive list of scalps, but he kicked two goals as well.
De Koning’s younger brother Sam, who has little experience in the ruck, went up against him.
While it was a one-sided contest, they had several sibling spats to keep it entertaining.
Geelong kicked the last three goals of the third term to be in touch, only 27 points behind.
But the Blues went up a gear and piled on 10 goals to three in the last quarter.
In an eventful opening, Dangerfield was penalised for his dangerous tackle on Sam Walsh, whose head hit the turf.
Moments later, Tom De Koning threw aside his brother Sam at a ruck duel, grabbed the ball and kicked Carlton’s first goal.
The Blues quickly took a three-goal lead and that set the tone for the night.
Geelong forward Jeremy Cameron kicked three goals.
– With AAP
