AFL star Tom Hawkins has revealed he could be forced to have his toe amputated.
The Geelong Cats big man has been out since June with a left foot injury and hopes to return in time for the final.
He suffered a similar but unrelated injury in 2022, leading him to undergo surgery that shortened his toe by 8mm.
The toe injury returned again in 2023 and three specialists suggested amputation as an option, saying he would only have to miss two or three weeks of football.
Hawkins, 36, decided not to remove her toe, but told the… Herald of the Sun I would consider it if the problem came up again.
“There’s still a chance that if it turns on and bothers me, I might throw it away. It’s functional, but it’s probably at 40 percent,” he said.
‘Knock on wood, he’s still healthy, but there’s always the chance he might have to take something off.’
Hawkins, a one-club man who has played a record 359 games for the Cats, plans to retire at the end of the season and spend more time with his wife Emma and their three children.
AFL star Tom Hawkins has revealed he could be forced to have his toe amputated
The Geelong Cats great (pictured with wife Emma) has been out since June with an injury to his left foot and hopes to return in time for the final.
After Hawkins announced his retirement earlier this week, Geelong football boss Andrew Mackie, who was Hawkins’ teammate for more than a decade, said the star forward was a “generational player”.
“Tom has been an incredible presence both on and off the field at Geelong over the past 18 years, with his ability to consistently play at an elite level, coupled with humility and care for his teammates, hallmarks of his career,” Mackie said.
‘He is a generational player who will be rightly celebrated for his achievements on the pitch, as well as the role he has played in making our club what it is today.
‘We would like to thank Tom, his wife Emma and their children Arabella, Primrose and Henry for all they have given to our club.’
Hawkins played for Geelong in his third season in 2009, scoring a controversial goal that appeared to graze the post but was crucial to the Cats’ victory over St Kilda.