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Young Cat has right pedigree

Jon AndersonNews Corp Australia

TOM Hawkins is from a famous footballing family and it will be those people who ensure the teenager's spiralling life remains in control.

Hawkins' mother Jennie spoke yesterday of her son's surprise at the level of interest in him and of his desire to be just another player helping his beloved Geelong towards an elusive seventh premiership.

Jennie Hawkins is fully aware her 18-year-old son can not be "just another player", because of his heritage, his ability and because of the position he plays.

She and husband Jack, a Geelong legend who played 182 games from 1973-81, are desperate to keep as much normality in Tom's life as possible and are enlisting the help of family to ensure that happens.

One such person is Jennie's father Fred Le Deux, a Geelong player in 1956-58 who, with wife Pam, will fly the family flag at Launceston on Sunday when the Cats play Hawthorn, while Jack and Jennie watch the game from their farm at Finley in the New South Wales Riverina district.

It all started, from a Geelong viewpoint, when Le Deux was recruited by the Cats in 1956. Le Deux's son, Rick played reserves with Geelong before playing in the VFA and VAFA.

Raised in Nagambie, Le Deux attended teacher's college in Bendigo where he played with Sandhurst before accepting a teaching post in Ocean Grove.

He played under legendary Geelong coach Reg Hickey, recording 18 games alongside Bernie Smith, Bob Davis, Peter Pianto, Neil Trezise, Fred Wooller and Russell Renfrey.

Le Deux now lives in retirement in Bannockburn.

"Pam and I have followed him (Tom) all the way through, right back to Auskick where he always showed promise," Le Deux said.

"Every time he has gone to a new level, he's done well. I really noticed his improvement last year in the first under-18 Test against the Irish at Telstra Dome.

"That night was the turning point. He played a wonderful game, running and chasing and tackling like he never had before.

"What we worry about now is keeping his feet on the ground, but really he's just a country kid who hasn't been affected in any way.

"He comes from a very level-headed family and has the right levels of support. Tom will be fine because he's a polite young man with the right values."

Tom has two sisters, Jane and Edwina, and a brother, Charlie, who is in year 6.

The girls have rowed in winning Head of the River crews for Geelong College.

Around Finley the Hawkins family is well known for sporting and farming achievements.

"Jumping Jack" was named at centre-half back in Geelong's team of the half-century in 1996.

Jack's eldest brother Michael played two games with the Cats in 1973 before homesickness forced him home, where he won the best-and-fairest in the Murray League.

Jack's younger brother Robb was also handy, playing three games for the Cats as a 197cm ruckman in 1984 after winning a best-and-fairest with South Adelaide in the SANFL.

Jennie doesn't profess to have a great understanding of football.

"I wouldn't try and talk football with Tom. I'm still trying to learn who all the players are," she said.

"We don't talk on-ground, on-ball stuff but about others things away from football. I try to normalise his life.

"Tom found it tough last week. He doesn't understand why people suddenly want to know so much about him. He just wants to go out and play football and all the press attention makes him uncomfortable.

"On the way through school we kept him away from a lot of the stuff that goes on because we want other things for our kids as well. For instance he only played three TAC Cup games.

"After his first game against Carlton, Tom was really excited, not because he played well but because Geelong won.

"You have to remember he's an incredibly one-eyed Geelong supporter, just like the whole family."

If Hawkins is surprised at his sudden fame, so are his parents who had no idea he was about to win senior selection after some indifferent VFL form.

"In the VFL before he got picked he didn't play well and was frustrated. We watched him in Round 1 and thought he was a fair bit away from getting a game," Jennie said.

Jennie, a dental therapist who studied commerce at university, is president of the local National Party branch, a member of the Berrigan council and once stood for pre-selection for the seat of Farrer.

So when it came to choosing a manager for Tom after last year's national draft, she was well qualified to interview a bucket-load of prospective bidders (Ricky Nixon got the nod).

"When we chose his manager, a decision made by Jack, Tom and I, the money side of things was about fourth on our list of criteria," Jennie said. "With the media we have to learn to manage it when things aren't going really well. So far the media has been very fair, with very few exceptions, but we know there are always ups and downs."