Geelong are adamant Tom Hawkins will be fit to play in the AFL grand final against Richmond despite the Coleman medallist missing Tuesday’s training session through illness.<\/p>\n
A club spokesperson said Hawkins had been told to stay away from teammates after feeling unwell.<\/p>\n
The power forward has a sore throat, an ailment believed to have been passed on by one of his children.<\/p>\n
Hawkins’ young family is staying with him at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast, where a small group of Geelong players with families are based.<\/p>\n
The majority of the Cats’ travelling party is based a few kilometres away at the hotel adjacent to their Southport Sharks training ground.<\/p>\n
Hawkins pulled out of a previously arranged press conference on Monday with what the club said was a family commitment.<\/p>\n
He was replaced by fellow veteran Harry Taylor and rescheduled to speak to the media on Thursday.<\/p>\n
That is now in some doubt but the Cats say there is no chance Hawkins will miss the decider, with the 32-year-old’s training absence on Tuesday viewed purely as a precaution.<\/p>\n
Geelong players trained in small groups on Tuesday in what is termed a “craft session”.<\/p>\n
Their main training session for the week is on Wednesday night in the lead-up to Saturday night’s grand final at the Gabba.<\/p>\n
“I haven’t seen him today but I’m not too concerned,” Cats superstar Patrick Dangerfield told reporters on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
“I think it might’ve been a bit overblown.<\/p>\n
“We all trained in separate groups today but our main session is tomorrow night and I’m sure he’ll be out there.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Geelong are adamant Tom Hawkins will be fit to play in the AFL grand final against Richmond despite the Coleman medallist missing Tuesday’s training session through illness. A club spokesperson said Hawkins had been told to stay away from teammates after feeling unwell. The power forward has a sore throat, an ailment believed to have […]<\/p>\n