Hawkins on a roll for ROC

THERE’S an air of excitement around ROC at present and that has a lot to do with the emergence of super-talented teenagers like the fourth nomination for the 2009 Gazette Casey Cardinia League Young Gun award, Steve Hawkins.
Since making the senior side after playing two outstanding under-18’s games in the opening rounds, Hawkins has cemented his place as a hard-running, tough and elusive wingman.
He’s earning praise from coach Kris Fletcher, together with opposition officials who are consistently heard asking: “Who the heck is on that blond kid?”
The 18-year-old wingman played the last four games in the seniors last year and always looked the goods, but is still pinching himself given he is now spending his Saturday afternoons swapping on-ball with former Richmond star Greg Tivendale.
“I’m learning so much off Greg about the way to approach football. The way he prepares and then busts a gut to get to every contest is unbelievable,” he said.
“Things are going pretty well at the moment.”
Hawkins played six years of juniors as an on-baller on his way to the ROC side.
He finished his last two years with mates at Fountain Gate Junior Football Club in division-one, after transferring from Cranbourne, his original junior club of four years.
“We played finals at Fountain Gate, but didn’t win a flag, so I’ve still got that as my main aim in football,” he said.
He credited his father Pete, together with 2008 senior ROC coach Ben Delarue, as the biggest influences on his career to date.
“My dad gets to all my games and has always helped me and told me things to work on,” he said.
“Ben Delarue gave me the opportunity to play ones last year, along with Ben Tivendale and they really encouraged me.”
Hawkins came under the eyes of the Dandenong Stingrays at under-14 level, but was told he was too short for the squad.
He said that he had thought about giving the VFL a crack at some stage in the future, but at present he was more than happy playing at ROC.
“It’s great here at ROC.
“The pace and standard is really good and I’m encouraged to take the game on all the time,” he said.