Personal tragedy hit Hawkins early in the 2015 season when his mother, Jenny, died in April. He subsequently missed the round three match against before returning the next week against North Melbourne in which he paid tribute to his mother after his only goal in the match; in addition, the game saw him reach his 150th AFL match milestone. He missed only one match for the remainder of the season, the round seven match against . Since joining Geelong, it was the first season the club missed the finals series, and he ultimately played nineteen games for the season and kicked forty-six goals, making him Geelong's leading goalkicker for the fourth consecutive season. Entering the season, he remained unsigned, meaning he would become a free agent if he remained out of contract at the end of the season. He ultimately ignored the lure of free agency, and he signed a five-year contract in July, tying him to the club until the end of the 2020 season.