HOF NOMINATION: Jumping Jack earns NSW Football Association nod

Former Geelong VFL star and long-serving Murray Football League official Jack Hawkins has been nominated for the inaugural AFL NSW Hall of Fame.Australian football celebrates its 140th anniversary in NSW this year after the founding of the NSW Football Association in Sydney in 1880.Hawkins, who was affectionately known as ‘Jumping Jack’ during his career, was nominated for his work on and off the field.He played 182 games for Geelong from 1973 to 1981 before returning home to Finley, serving as a long time member of the Finley Football Netball Club and Murray League board.‘‘I’m really humbled at the thought of being included in the Hall of Fame,’’ Hawkins said.‘‘I have always been proud of my origins from southern New South Wales.‘‘Coming from this area, where junior footy was minimal in the 60s to playing school boy footy in Victoria and then into the VFL is something I’m happy to have achieved.’’If selected, Hawkins would join his son Tom in the NSW Hall of Fame. Tom has already qualified by virtue of his selection in last year’s Greatest NSW Team.Selectors for that team were Richard Colless (chairman), Gerard Healy and Mike Sheahan.This year they have been joined by Greatest Team members Wayne Carey and Mark McClure to select a NSW Origin team from current players in the AFL.Tom Hawkins is considered a “lock” based on his outstanding performances for Geelong this season which has him securing the Coleman Medal for goalkicking and on track for the Carey-Bunton Medal, awarded to the best NSW player in the AFL.While Tom’s career is still going strong at 32, Jack’s was sadly cut short by a knee injury at only 27.He returned home to Finley to run the family farm and play footy but the injury restricted him to just two games.His contribution to footy however was far from over and Jack has helped run the Finley Football Club and the Murray Football League for more than four decades, including a 10 year stint as Murray League president from 2008 to 2018.Jack became a selector for NSW State teams at the request of old mate and rival Terry Daniher, who was coach of the State team while coaching Wagga Tigers in the Riverina Football League.This included the match against the VFA as a curtain-raiser to the Victoria v South Australia match at the MCG in 1995 when the legendary Teddy Whitten was emotionally farewelled.Jack would drive up to Wagga for training accompanied by prospective state players from the Murray League, a round trip of almost five hours.The connection between the Geelong and Finley footy clubs runs deep in the Hawkins family.Jack’s brothers, Michael and Robb, also both played in the VFL for Geelong.Michael and Jack also played alongside each other for Finley in the club’s 1971 Murray League premiership win against the Deni Rams.‘‘My time spent as an administrator and executive of the Murray League was really enjoyable,’’ Jack said.‘‘At the time I had two boys playing footy, one in school and the other in the AFL and I was worried I wouldn’t have been able to assume all the responsibilities.‘‘Fortunately, from the help I had with the amazing volunteers in the league, I was able to be involved in watching my sons and helping run the league.‘‘It is such a good community to work with and Finley is really excited to have a Brownlow Medallist (Shane Crawford in 1999) and now a Coleman Medallist who played junior footy.’’All of the Hawkins brothers, along with Tom, were named on the list of NSW’s 500 best ever players last year that was used as the basis to select the Greatest-ever NSW team.