Cat tight-lipped on superstar forward's future

Geelong premiership defender Tom Stewart has remained tight-lipped connected the aboriginal of three-time premiership teammate Tom Hawkins, aft the Cats' finals hopes came to an extremity connected Saturday.

The Cats person decided to remainder Hawkins up of their last crippled against the Western Bulldogs, with questions raised implicit imaginable retirement.

But Stewart was adamant that the 346-game seasoned and five-time All-Australian has earned the close to marque a telephone connected his own, with the defender throwing his enactment down immoderate prime is made.

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"He's got a determination to make, but I deliberation he's earned that close to marque that with his household and what their penchant is moving forward," Stewart told media connected Tuesday.

The quality comes aft Geelong decided to rest premiership guardant Jeremy Cameron connected Saturday, sending him for enarthrosis country successful hopes of a speedy betterment to implicit a afloat pre-season.

Stewart nevertheless sees the nonaccomplishment of their 2 cardinal forwards arsenic an accidental for younger players to person a tally earlier the extremity of the season, including large antheral Toby Conway, who dominated successful the VFL connected Saturday.

Tom Hawkins won't look the Bulldogs connected Saturday night. (AFL Photos via Getty Images)

"It's an accidental for others to measurement in. We've had a batch of maturation from individuals we whitethorn not person had to, truthful it's different accidental to enactment their champion ft guardant and to propulsion connected the hoops, which is simply a monolithic privilege successful itself," Stewart said.

The Cats' circular 24 clash against the Dogs volition beryllium Stewart's lone crippled truthful acold successful his vocation wherever determination is nary mode the Cats tin triumph the flag.

"I've really played finals each azygous year, truthful it's decidedly caller to me, personally," helium said.

Tom Stewart won't play finals for the archetypal clip successful his career. (via Getty Images)

"I recognize however fortunate I americium to beryllium capable to play for Geelong each week, truthful my information doesn't wane."

The Cats look the hopeless Bulldogs, who indispensable beat Geelong to support their slim finals hopes alive. The Dogs indispensable besides anticipation the Giants suffer to Carlton successful bid to leap into eighth connected the ladder.

The Bulldogs volition beryllium without Jack Macrae (delayed concussion symptoms) and Taylor Duryea, who had his one-match suspension upheld for a bump connected Eagle Jamie Cripps.