Geelong coach Mark Thompson has promised to treat prodigious youngster Tom Hawkins with kid gloves despite his man-sized AFL debut last weekend.

As thrilled as anyone with Hawkins' impressive first-game performance in the thumping win over Carlton last weekend, Thompson is mindful of over-playing the exciting 18-year-old in his first year.

Hawkins kicked three goals, gave one of the league's premier backmen in Lance Whitnall a towelling, and was described post-match by Carlton coach Denis Pagan as reminiscent of a young Tony Lockett.

But despite a debut which belied his age, Thompson said Hawkins was set to play between 10 and 12 AFL games this season - no different to the maximum he sets on any first-year player.

He said proper management and rest were essential for Hawkins' longevity.

"I loved how the kid played," Thompson said.

"We'll play him again, but we've got to probably expect at some stage he's not going to be able to play like that every week.

"A reasonable expectation is we normally put 10 or 12 on a first-year player as a maximum.

"We need to manage him and rest him, and it will be the same with every other young boy that we've brought into the team.

"History shows that they can't stand up to the whole season.

"We'll do the same as what we've done with every other young boy."

But even Thompson wasn't entirely fanning down the Hawkins hype after one of Geelong's best performances in years.

He suggested Pagan's likening of the 197cm, 105kg Hawkins to Lockett wasn't far off the mark.

"We thought he was a little bit like a Tony Lockett-David Neitz sort of powerful, bounding, big, strong heavy guy who can mark the ball," Thompson said.

"If he turns out half as good as Tony Lockett he'll be a pretty good player."

After seven days in which the Cats have gone from under pressure to being rated as good enough to win the premiership, Thompson said he was concerned about facing an "angry" Melbourne side on Sunday at the MCG.

The Demons are winless in their first two outings and will be without injured forward spearheads David Neitz and Russell Robertson through injury.

A 22-point defeat by Hawthorn on Monday has the snipers out for the Demons, and Thompson expects them to take it out on the Cats.

"It's going to put Melbourne in an angry frame of mind," Thompson said of Monday's defeat.

"They're going to be desperate for a win and we've got to respect that and be prepared for that."

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