Geelong forward Tom Hawkins is aiming to return as early as Round 22, just seven weeks after suffering a Lisfranc foot injury against Carlton.
Asked about a potential return date from his injury suffered in Round 15, the Geelong star highlighted two matches on Fox Footy's AFL360 on Tuesday night.
"I think, optimistically, [I'm] looking at either Freo or St Kilda," Hawkins said. "Maybe that's just a bit of blind hope, but that's okay, you've got to work towards something."
The three-time premiership veteran is "confident" in a quick recovery, highlighting a previous foot injury that he made fast progress through.
"I had my toe issue a couple of years ago, and [I] seemed to come-to quite quickly at the back end, so I'm predicting the start's going to be a bit slow. The people we've spoken to have flagged that, but once I'm moving I'm pretty confident that I'll be coming-to pretty quick," he added.
Hawkins' form had been questioned prior to his injury, with the key forward experiencing a five-week goalless period between Rounds 5-9. At 36 years of age, Father Time looked to have finally caught the consistent goalkicker after years of league dominance.
“Tom Hawkins, I fear his career has come to a halt… I look at Tom and I think his time has come,” Herald Sun Chief Football reporter Mark Robinson said on AFL 360 in May.
However, he managed to break the drought in Round 10 versus Port Adelaide, where he tied Geelong legend Joel Selwood's games-played record at the Cats. Rested for Round 11, Hawkins returned to break Selwood's record at GMHBA Stadium in Round 12, kicking multiple goals for the first time since Round 4.
Hawkins also sits just four goals shy of 800 career goals, and could become just the 13th player in V/AFL history to reach the milestone. A Round 22 return would provide Hawkins with three home-and-away games, as well as any potential finals fixtures, to add another career milestone to his tally in 2024.
Hawkins' return could create selection headaches for the Cats however. Since Hawkins' injury, Geelong have won three of their last four encounters, averaging 102 points per game in their victories.
Hawkins' absence has provided additional space for Jeremy Cameron to work in, scoring ten goals in his last four outings. Third-year key forward Shannon Neale has impressed since his return to the side in Round 17, kicking 5.3 in his three latest appearances.
Nevertheless, there is no doubt Hawkins will be crucial if the Cats are to play finals once again. Hawkins has played in 32 finals across his 18-year AFL career, the most out of any current player, and the fourth-most all-time. Hawkins' experience come finals will undeniably be key for Geelong to push for an 11th flag this September.