Doug Hawkins Biography

Doug Hawkins is elevated to the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

"(Being inducted) into the Hall of Fame was very important for my three kids, as they don't remember much of me playing footy," Hawkins said.

"I think it was great for the Bulldogs supporters, who had followed me since I was 17.

"And, personally, it's one of the great honours. It's pretty good. It's some sort of consolation for not playing in a premiership.

"There's no better thing than to play in a Grand Final, which we weren't good enough and I wasn't good enough to, so I missed that opportunity.

"But a small consolation, I suppose, is to be in the Hall of Fame with the who's who of footy – all the legends, like Bobby Skilton, Kevin Murray and Kevin Barlett and these sorts blokes.

"It's just fantastic."

Doug Hawkins is honoured as a Bulldogs legend in the Western Bulldogs' Hall of Fame at the club's 2014 season launch on Wednesday night.

Former AFL players Doug Hawkins and Tony Shaw slam Lance Franklin's two-match ban for head-high contact with Ben Cousins.

"They've got to get it right because as a kid growing up that's what footy was about. People say, 'Oh, Buddy didn't tackle', well guess what? You don't have to tackle, you used to be able to bump," Hawkins said.

"Two weeks for that is just ludicrous. I'm disillusioned by the whole situation and I think the sooner the AFL work it out the better. "

Former Collingwood captain Tony Shaw concurred with Hawkins' assessment.

"It is so embarrassing at the moment. I'm all for protecting heads and spinal injuries and all that sort of thing, but you do have contact on the field and I've been involved in bumping bigger blokes where you will hit your head on their body and it's stiff cheddar," Shaw said.

Bulldogs legend Doug Hawkins says his former team should recruit Barry Hall.

"If I was the coach, if I was Rocket Eade, I'd be going after Barry Hall for next year," Hawkins said on radio station SEN.

"Here's a bloke on his last chance, stack his salary so he has to play games to get paid."

Bulldogs great Doug Hawkins defended former teammate Brad Hardie, declaring he should have been a no-brainer for Mick Malthouse's best team.

"I'm not talking best 22. Best 18," Hawkins said.

"In my opinion, Brad had the same impact in two years under Mick as some took six to 10 years to achieve."