He is an AFL legend with 350 games to his name and is a member of the Western Bulldogs team of the century. In every sense, Doug Hawkins is a football legend. But it is returning to Bacchus Marsh that has Hawkins feeling like he is back home. Bacchus Marsh was the setting for the toughest moment in his football life and also the most inspiring. He spoke to Liam Twomey.
It wasn’t long ago that Doug Hawkins had no interest in coaching football again. He had been a senior and junior coach at Ballarat Football League club Bacchus Marsh but stepped down from the role in 2013.
But catching up with a former player changed his perspective.
Having been coached by Hawkins in the under-16s, Ricky Shortis showed his former mentor a photo of them celebrating their 2011 premiership.
“Ricky said to me, ‘This is what you should be doing – coaching young blokes, you’re good at it,” Hawkins said.
“I told him I was too busy and he said, ‘It isn’t about you – it’s about the kids, it’s about the young blokes’.
“I’d never heard that before. It was really interesting, the way he spun it to me.”
He phoned his wife and told her of his desire to coach again.
Hawkins was welcomed back into the Bacchus Marsh coaching fold with open arms and was given the nod to lead the Cobras’ under-18 side this season.
While every coach is judged on wins and losses, Hawkins’ evaluation of himself comes down to more than that.
Helping his players transition from boys playing in the juniors to men playing in the seniors has a more fundamental basis, one far from any football field.
“I’ve told the boys how it is with me,” Hawkins said. “Your family and your work are No.1. Your footy will always come after that.
“At that age now there are so many different things going on in their lives. In my day, all I had was footy and cricket. Now they have so many other things that they can do. Because of that, it is very critical and important that you keep it fun.”
There is nothing quite as much fun as winning and with Hawkins at the helm, winning has been a theme for the Cobras’ under-18s.
They are 2-0 after two rounds and are looming as serious contenders for finals football.
Returning to the coaching fold at Bacchus Marsh has some strong personal memories for Hawkins.
His 2011 under-16s premiership victory was full of emotion after rising star Nathan Prince died during the club’s finals campaign.
Prince suffered cardiac arrest on the field.
“Nathan, he had all the boxes ticked to play AFL football,” Hawkins said.
“He was down at the Western Jets. He loved it and he was dedicated.”
In what he describes as the highlight of his football life, Hawkins and his team of heartbroken boys went on to win the premiership for Prince.
Bacchus Marsh beat North Ballarat City in the grand final and Hawkins became a Cobra for life.
“I said to myself, that is the ultimate,” Hawkins said.
“What those boys did was the greatest thing that I have ever been a part of in football. You can’t beat it, you can’t match it.
“After what happened to Nathan, for those boys to go on and win the grand final … that was the greatest sporting achievement of my entire career, including playing in the AFL and breaking Ted Whitten’s games record.”
Of that premiership side, the success stories from an individual point of view came thick and fast.
Three members of that side were selected in the national draft, with Liam Duggan going to West Coast, Dillon Viojo-Rainbow finding his way to Carlton and Brenton Payne being picked up by St Kilda.
After experiencing such incredible highs and lows in their junior careers, Hawkins said it was a great thrill to keep an eye on how his former players were tracking.
“I like to give them a call or a ring out of the blue to see how they are going,” he said.
“I gave Liam a text last week and he replied straight away which is fantastic. The fact that I had a little bit to do with their success, that is a great thrill.”
There have also been a number of players from that side who have gone on to play senior football for Bacchus Marsh.
Among them is Hawkins’ son, Ricky.
With this season marking the five-year anniversary of the famous premiership win, Hawkins is already planning a reunion.
“This year we are going to have our five-year premiership reunion,” he said.
“It’s going to be called, In the Backyard at Dougie’s.
“We will have a few beers, I’ll put the replay of that game on.
“We will reminisce how good they were and how great they were.”
