Let's be honest here, former Bulldog great Doug Hawkins was a fantastic player, but since his retirement after a token stint at Fitzroy, has been nothing short of a total waste of space.
A bland and witless commentator long on bluster, and short on sense in his gigs on MMM and Channel 7. Now he "contributes" to the colour at K-Rock as their special comments voice. Hmmm, "Special" Doug. Add to that his embarrassing in-house idiot role on Seven's truly embarrassing Live and Kicking.
And at least once every year, he manages to stick the boots into someone at the Bulldogs....
Matthew Richardson's 10-goal blitz, which single-handedly sunk the Western Bulldogs at the MCG yesterday, seems to have resurrected his career and Richmond's season.
While Richardson's performance was a class act, former Bulldogs champion and club games record holder Doug Hawkins let fly at coach Peter Rohde over his tactics.
Doug Hawkins gives blast to Bulldogs
DOUG Hawkins, one of the Bulldogs' favourite sons, yesterday lashed out at his former club and current president David Smorgon.
Not surprisingly, I've just heard someone's wrapped gaffer tape around the mouth of his statue outside Whitten Oval. No doubt a Bullies fan sick of Hawkins' nonsense.
From a tactical standpoint, can I just add this.
Peter Rhode has copped a fair bit of criticism for not switching Ryan Hargrave off Richo, and instead moving either Chris Grant or Jade Rawlings onto the hot Tiger full-forward.
Now I'm sure Rhode won't admit it, but in much the same way as Grant Thomas last year took a bucketing for playing a variety of players at full-back in the absence of the under-rated Luke Penny, then leaving them there when they were copping a hiding, Rhode may just have conceded that the Bullies can't win this year's flag -- no great surprise -- and is therefore content to try out other players in the key defensive post.
Add to this the fact that Rawlings was promised a key offensive post at the Bullies when he crossed from Hawthorn, and Grant is nearing the end of his career and hardly constitutes a long term key defensive prospect.
Just a thought.
Hawkins blasts Rohde tactics
HISTORY will regard it as one of the all-time great solo acts – right up there with the best of Tony Lockett.
Matthew Richardson's 10-goal blitz, which single-handedly sunk the Western Bulldogs at the MCG yesterday, seems to have resurrected his career and Richmond's season.
While Richardson's performance was a class act, former Bulldogs champion and club games record holder Doug Hawkins let fly at coach Peter Rohde over his tactics.
Richardson had four opponents before his original opponent, Scott Bassett, returned in the last five minutes with the game safe.
Bassett lasted until the 20-minute mark of the third quarter. Richardson's tally to that time was 6.2 and he continued his amazing run against Ryan Hargrave with three goals in less than half an hour.
Up in the K-Rock commentary box, Hawkins was amazed Rohde did not use the experienced Jade Rawlings, Richardson's brother-in-law back in defence.
"He's got no idea the coach (Rohde)," Hawkins said at one point.
When Hargrave was given the unenviable task, Hawkins said: "This kid is not a full-back. It's a joke, embarrassing . . . they're crucifying him."
Meanwhile, having defied stinging criticism of his goal-kicking conversion, Richardson has kicked 17.3 in his past two matches to be the hottest player in the game today.
"It's great to get another win," a jubilant Richardson said last night.
"To be out there in the last two weeks and finish off the good work up the ground has been the main thing for me.
"Having that (enforced) month off gave me the chance to do extra training, so I did a lot of work on my goal-kicking."
Long-time teammates were also delighted as Richardson kicked goal after goal from long range and even snapped one with his left foot from the middle of the pack to ensure the win.
"To get it where he did today down the corridor and kick straight made all the difference," said Darren Gaspar.
The last Tiger to kick double figures was Jeff Hogg who kicked 10 against Collingwood on Mother's Day in 1991.
Richardson's best haul in a game was eight.
In only four completed matches this season – he injured his hamstring in the opening minutes against St Kilda in Round 3 and missed the next three matches – Richardson has kicked 22 goals.
And in three of those matches – the five-goal haul against Collingwood in Round 1, seven against Sydney in the wet last week and 10 against the Bulldogs yesterday – he has been clearly best afield.
Attacking the ball with all his old verve, Richardson yesterday took several telling pack marks against stern opposition and importantly converted to keep the Tigers alive.
Another Tiger to enjoy his season's best performance was defender Ray Hall who, after a great game in Sydney, so nullified Rawlings the star import was benched.
Danny Frawley forecast his next opponent on Saturday night was likely to be the in-form Warren Tredrea, his third huge challenge in as many weeks.
But everyone was talking about about Richo last night. Either that, or the Bulldogs' seemingly incurable, inept kicking for goal.
The Dogs again kicked themselves out of the match, kicking 10.22. Richardson's accuracy – never a strong point – was such that he kicked 10 from his 13 scoring shots.
Doug Hawkins gives blast to Bulldogs
DOUG Hawkins, one of the Bulldogs' favourite sons, yesterday lashed out at his former club and current president David Smorgon.
Hawkins, who played 329 games for Footscray in 17 years, said the Smorgon-led Western Bulldogs had shown scant respect for the past players of the club.
"I get the feeling the current group of administration don't rate Footscray of the past, and that includes me," Hawkins said.
The issue with Smorgon is also personal.
Asked about their relationship, Hawkins said: "It's pretty ordinary, pretty ordinary. He shouldn't talk about footy because it's embarrassing when he does."
Hawkins is also disillusioned about being asked to pay to attend the 1954 premiership reunion a month ago.
"I didn't go. I don't think the games record-holder should pay to go. That's only my opinion," he said.
Smorgon, who oversaw the club's change of name from Footscray to the Western Bulldogs at the end of 1996, hit back at Hawkins last night.
"He's entitled to his view, as I've said on a number of occasions, but whether people have any respect for Doug Hawkins' views, well, that's for them to determine and not me," he said.
"But I'd say to Doug . . . we've got nothing but the total respect for past players of the club."
Estranged from the club he loves, Hawkins' major gripes revolve around the club's treatment of past Footscray players and the disrespect he says is shown to him by Smorgon.
The atmosphere was tense when Hawkins and Smorgon were part of an interview on K-Rock at the MCG on Saturday.
Hawkins denied on air there was any bad blood between them, but yesterday confirmed his anger towards Smorgon began in 2002 when Hawkins said that then-coach Terry Wallace was leaving to coach Fremantle.
"I got called a big mouth by the president, you know, that Hawkins has gone and opened his big mouth again," he said.
"That really annoyed me.
"He's potted me a couple of times now.
"Just cheap, smart-arse comments from a bloke who shouldn't even talk about the footy."
Smorgon last night said Hawkins' opinion of him was not a concern.
"I sat alongside Doug on the weekend and it's a pity he didn't raise some of those issues with me direct because I would've answered directly.
"He wasn't man enough to say them to my face."
Hawkins said he hadn't been made to feel welcome at the club in recent years, and that included his short stint as a part-time assistant coach under Wallace.
"My role was a joke. I didn't feel part of it," he said.
Hawkins believes that as the games record-holder it was also disrespectful of the club not to invite him to one of the club's great celebrations – the '54 reunion.
Every guest paid except for the '54 players or their representative.
"I thought I should've been invited. It's a very fine one, but if EJ was alive and if we beat Essendon in '85, he would've been invited," Hawkins said.
"Or would you expect him to pay $500 to go to it?"
At the weekend, Hawkins made headlines when he was quoted saying that coach Peter Rohde "had no idea".
Yesterday, he defended his comment and other criticisms of the players and coach.
"I reckon Peter Rohde is a terrific bloke. I've nothing against him, he's a nice bloke," he said.
"I love the club with a lot of passion, love the supporters who gave me so much joy, I love the people of the Footscray footy club.
"I love the current players, love to see them win, but if I see them on the ground in my role as a media commentator, I'm going to say it.
"If I'm going to upset people, guess what, that's how it's going to be."
As a happy Tigers fan after the Richo show on Saturday, I find it unbelieveable the amount of shit Peter Rhode copped - not just from the media or Hawkins, but from his own supporters.
There's no way Grant should've played on Richo, given Grant's job to provide drive across half-back. And as for Rawlings playing on him - the Dogs were in it until the last 10 minutes, so Rhode is quite entitled to leave Rawlings where he was in the hope he might come good and kick a couple of late ones to win the game.
Let's face it, the guy who could've stopped Richo was twiddling his thumbs in the stand - Brian Harris being suspended and all.
And if Jade hadn't dropped an easy chestmark - which then ended down the other end with Richo kicking his ninth - it could've been different.
And a note to whoever in the H-Sun wrote about Richo resurrecting his career with 10 on the weekend - where have you been? He's been resurrecting his career all season thus far.
In 6 full games this year (two practice and four home and away, not counting the five minutes he played against StKilda before being injured) Richo has kicked 7, 7, 5, 0 (against your Dees, Tony) 7 and 10.
That's 36 goals at an average of 6 a game. Pretty spiffy if you ask me. Hope the average continues against Port on the weekend.
Posted by: chris88 | 20 May 2004 at 15:05
The rate the Port players are dropping off injured he'll have a 13-year-old from the Sturt reserves playing on him and will kick 15.
Posted by: Adam | 20 May 2004 at 17:01