Geelong coach Chris Scott says key forward Tom Hawkins must learn to be more disciplined.

Hawkins gave away five free kicks on Sunday afternoon against North Melbourne and Scott criticized the big man's sloppiness.

"It's always a fine line for key forwards, especially when you're caught a little bit out of position. It's very frustrating for him because he thinks when they are 50-50 ones they go against him and we have got to keep working on giving the umpires better cues in those situations where he is impeded but that can't manifest in undisciplined, sloppy free kicks," Scott said post-match.

"You don't see defenders giving away sloppy ones like that because it results in a goal.

"The mentality of the key forward needs to be more like the mentality of the key defender.

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"Some of them were dubious as a lot of decisions are across the game but some of them were just really sloppy undisciplined blatant free kicks."

Hawkins finished with four goals, five marks and 11 disposals for the match, but gave away five free kicks inside his side's forward 50 in the first three-quarters of the game.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 02: Tom Hawkins of the Cats compete for the ball over Robbie Tarrant of the Kangaroos during the round two AFL match between the Geelong Cats and the North Melbourne Kangaroos at Etihad Stadium on April 2, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

However, he proved to be instrumental late in the game as the Cats mounted their comeback, kicking a goal just prior to three-quarter time to cut the margin to 25 points at the final change, before a goal in the last term helped his side to a one-point win.

2017 AFL LADDER

Geelong's leading goal scorer for the past five seasons has conceded six free kicks in the opening two rounds of the season and received just two.