Outsiders note the dodgy back, but James Kelly has witnessed a lot of steel in Tom Hawkins' spine.
After a week off because of the injury that has plagued him throughout this season, Hawkins returns for Geelong's massive AFL match against Sydney on Saturday at Simonds Stadium.
Noted big-game performer Paul Chapman is also in the side for his first senior game since round four as the Cats ramp up their preparations for the finals.
Hawkins' well-documented back problems mean he is not the player who kicked 62 goals last season and won the club best and fairest award in a banner season.
But Kelly says the key forward has been exceptional in how he has dealt with his injury.
"You find out a lot about players when things aren't going that well for them," Kelly told AAP.
"Tom, to his credit, has just stood up and taken everything in his stride.
"He's worked his arse off to make sure he's right every week and he just keeps turning up and playing.
"People lose sight of that ... given what Tom has had to deal with, it probably has been one of his better years."
Despite his injury, Hawkins remains a crucial factor in Geelong's finals campaign.
A win over the reigning premiers on Saturday would secure a top-two berth and a home qualifying final.
With September looming, Chapman has also finally convinced the match committee he deserves a senior recall.
Coach Chris Scott did not mince his words earlier this week, saying there was no "golden ticket" into the side for Chapman or any other Geelong player.
The comment was a glimpse into the ironclad team-first culture that has taken the Cats to three premierships in five years.
Kelly loved it.
"Scotty was really spot on with that," Kelly said.
"Especially this time of year, you can't just waltz back into the side.
"Now's not the time of year to be mucking around with the side and playing players back into form.
"If you come into the side, you have to be really ready to go.
"It is a strength of the group, that a player like Paul Chapman still has to earn his way back into the side."
While Chapman must get back up to AFL speed, Kelly said his return would be a major boost.
"We can't expect he's just going to come in and dominate," Kelly said.
"But the experience he has is really important."
Apart from the obvious home-final reward if Geelong beat Sydney, Kelly said Saturday's clash would be an ideal pre-finals test.
Kelly and his fellow Cats onballers will go up against an opposition midfield that has set the AFL standards for pressure and winning the contested ball.
The three-time premiership player, himself a noted hard nut, is looking forward to getting his hands dirty.
"Games like this, you really like to have going into finals, to test yourself out," Kelly said.
"We'll be testing ourselves individually as well as in our areas and as a whole side."
