Nathan Buckley has declared Geelong star Tom Hawkins his number one key forward in the AFL at the present time.
The 33-year-old kicked three majors in Saturday’s win over West Coast to move to 36 goals for the season.
Hawkins became just the third Cats player to kick 700 goals in the 81-63 victory against the Eagles in Perth.
Into his 16th season, Hawkins continues to improve with age and Buckley rates him above any other key forward in the game on current form.
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“I’ve said it consistently - I think he’s the best key forward in the competition at present and he’s probably been there a little while,” the former Collingwood coach told SEN Breakfast.
“I just think he gets better and better.
“It’s a fair effort in modern footy to have kicked as many (goals) as he has.
“His teammates love him. I’d suggest that he is one of the most important players to his side in comparison to others in the comp.
“I think he’s the best key forward right now in the game and I reckon he’s been there for the last four or five years.”
SEN Breakfast co-host Garry Lyon agrees: “I’m with you on that.”
Buckley added: “Tom Lynch is an exceptional player and is probably next.
“And then we’ve got some incumbents on the way up – I love Harry McKay, Charlie Curnow and the King boys that are coming through.
“But they haven’t unseated Tom.”
Hawkins is third in the Coleman Medal race behind Cats teammate Jeremy Cameron (39) and Carlton forward Curnow (40).