Doug Hawkins

[BulldogBelle]

I often wonder why he never took on a more active role with the Bulldogs post his playing career. Sure, he’s occasionally made a few appearances here and there over the years. I know he loves the club deeply but it would be nice if he was more involved in some way.

What do you guys think?

[Ghost Dog]

I love Doug, but he's often not afraid of calling a spade a spade and I wonder how popular that makes him at the top level. Example, Libba's punishment and subsequent comments by Doug regarding that in the papers.

[Dry Rot]

never saw him play - what was his position, style and what current player most resembles him?

[Ghost Dog]

According to Mick Malthouse, the most talented player he has every seen.

[Eastdog]

never saw him play - what was his position, style and what current player most resembles him?

Never seen him play either Dry Rot but from what I've read about Doug is that he was one of the best wingers in the comp when he was playing. He along with Sutton and Whitten is an icon of our club.

[boydogs]

I often wonder why he never took on a more active role with the Bulldogs post his playing career. Sure, he’s occasionally made a few appearances here and there over the years. I know he loves the club deeply but it would be nice if he was more involved in some way.

What do you guys think?

What sort of role? With the greatest respect, he doesn't have a reputation of being an intellectual.

[dog town]

Coaching Bacchus Marsh in the Ballarat League this year. Big challenge for a first year coach.

[AndrewP6]

No disrespect to the great man(undoubtedly one of the greatest Bulldogs), his best work was done on-field. He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

[Remi Moses]

Gee you folks missed out on one of our greats.
Easily the most skilled poised player in my time.
There was a time on kickouts we'd kick it to Doug one on one and he'd mark it.
Often one handed!!
Then there was his one handed pick ups in the mud.
His kicking ( both sides)and he'd be a number one pick on ability if drafted now.
It would be interesting in the draft era what number he'd go.

[Ghost Dog]

We must get more youtube up of old Bulldogs clips.
Would be a good thing for the club new media blokes to do. Nothing of Libba, Douggy or many others on the net.

[GVGjr]

For DR and Eastdog
Hawkins was originally a winger who tended to play on one side of the ground which is the reason why the outer wing is called 'The Doug Hawkins Wing'

The wind tended to push the game to the outer side and you wanted Hawkins to be in the play as much as you could. Our defenders would look to kick the ball to him as much as the could because in a one on one situation Hawkins could out muscle and out mark nearly every other winger. In a confined space or a one on one situation Hawkins probably had no peers.
Opposition coaches worked that out and at kick ins would push another player across to that wing so as to not have Hawkins in a one on one situation.

He was very light on his feet and had a quick first step.

In the later years after injuries and age had slowed him down he would often be used as a loose man in the back line cutting off the kicks to the opposition key forwards.
A bit later in his career Dougie made a very successful move as a forward pocket. The distance of his kicking had declined but he was still a handful.

Dougie was a larrikin no doubt. One of the great stories he told in a post match interview was about Dougie having a crack at big Tony Lockett.

The Dogs had controlled a game against the Saints from the outset. Tony Campbell (the gloved wonder) was doing another fine job on Lockett and Peter Foster was more than holding his own against Stuart Loewe. The Saints had to get these players into the game and switched big Tony to CHF. Sensing that Fossie might struggle, Hawkins was sent to the back line and parked himself about 20 to 30 mtrs away from big Tony. The ball came down a few times and Dougie cut it off before it got to Lockett. He also let him know about it which riled up Lockett. I think Hawkins made Tony run as well which the big fella didn't enjoy.

He was almost at breaking point when Foster somehow got off Lockett and ran down the field and kicked a goal (I actually think he kicked a point).

Hawkins immediately ran just close enough to Locket to advise him that Foster was an old man and a defender but had kicked more goals that Lockett on this day. Big Tony snapped and said he would get Hawkins. Hawk ran up to Fossie who was jogging back to Lockett and said well done but for Christ sake don't stand too close to big Tony because he has cracked the shits. Knowing that Hawkins caused this Foster shook his head, sarcastically thanked the Hawk and proceeded to stand about 3 mtrs away from Lockett hoping like hell he would cool down

For those that don't know too much about Lockett, he was certainly not the sort of bloke you wanted to be near when he was shitty. With the game now won Hawkins somehow managed to get moved to the forward line leaving Foster to deal with the monster he helped create.

Hawkins was a great player to watch and I have a framed poster of him from his 300th game which I have kept for all this time.

[GVGjr]

I often wonder why he never took on a more active role with the Bulldogs post his playing career. Sure, he’s occasionally made a few appearances here and there over the years. I know he loves the club deeply but it would be nice if he was more involved in some way.

What do you guys think?

I think he could be a fine mentor for a younger player or two. I suppose the trouble is not many youngsters would know too much about him.

[Hotdog60]

Hawkins was a great player to watch and I have a framed poster of him from his 300th game which I have kept for all this time.

I love watching Dougie and was one of the elite I just wished it had ended better than it did. Thanks for the trip down memory lane GVGjr.

[always right]

There have been some dark times in our history when you went to games just to watch individuals. Templeton was one of those and so was Doug. His skill level was freakish and unlike his off field persona, he was a genuinely smart footballer. Probably the best kick on his wrong side, second only to Leon Cameron. Superstar.

[Evel]

Unfortunately due to my age I missed Dougie in his prime. Not sure if it's the same game GVGjr is referring too, but I was at the Dogs v Saints 92 final at Waverley. Doug was playing in the fwd pocket in the first qtr and kicked a couple early from memory. The Saints were never really in it and he was giving it to them all day. I even remember him giving instruction to young Chris Grant that day who also looked very dangerous. Time flies.