The first half of the 2016 season saw Hawkins play inconsistently due to his form wavering, with Geelong coach, Chris Scott noting Hawkins' "impact isn't what he'd like it to be and hasn't been for some time"; despite his inconsistency, Scott reassured fans that he believed Hawkins' best was still ahead of him. It was revealed at the end of the season, that he had played with a small tear in his meniscus, which resulted in post-season surgery. He missed one match for the season after he was suspended for striking captain, Phil Davis, in round 11. The decision by the match review panel was criticised by the "Herald Sun" chief of football writer, Mark Robinson, where he labelled the decision "a joke", and the backlash forced match review panel member, Nathan Burke to publicly defend the decision. Geelong returned to the final series in 2016, making it to the preliminary final and losing to Sydney by thirty-seven points at the MCG. He finished with twenty-three matches for the season, kicking fifty-five goals and he was Geelong's leading goalkicker for the fifth consecutive season.