Adam McNicol: I suppose the place to start here is wondering whether a half-fit Hawkins would have helped against Freo. Given the Cats often bombed the ball into a crowded forward line, it's hard to imagine that Hawkins would have taken many marks. But he would certainly have been more of a handful for the Dockers defenders than Josh Walker, who had a shocker in his first final. As for next week, the Cats can certainly beat the Power without Tomahawk. I think they just need one of their half-forward types – Steven Motlop, Allen Christensen and Mathew Stokes – to play a bit closer to goal. The trio kicked only one goal between them against Freo, but they have the ability to put Port Adelaide to the sword.

Peter Ryan: Geelong can, but I'd be surprised if Hawkins doesn't play next week. His management has been the one low point in the Cats' season so far. Walker or Shane Kersten should have been exposed in the past month to give them confidence or rule them out. Geelong's forward line lost its structure without Hawkins. He is predictable to his teammates and the smalls worked harder on the ground to cover for him, as Adam implied. The Cats do not need him to beat Port Adelaide but they need him to win the flag. They now start behind the eight ball, having lost a chance for a week's rest before a preliminary final.

Mark Macgugan: Sorry to the readers looking for a bit of spirited debate or at least an alternative view, but I'm going with Adam and Pete. Of course the Cats can press on without Hawkins – for another week at least. Port has surprised everyone all season, but let's be honest: there's probably as much chance of Geelong losing a second game on the trot as there is of Ross Lyon and Shane McInnes – the journalist the Freo boss had a spirited post-game crack at - enjoying a night on the town together sometime this week. The Cats may have looked a little vulnerable up forward against the Dockers, but you can bet the Labor Party's remaining seats that champions such as Steve Johnson, Jimmy Bartel, Paul Chapman and Joel Selwood will lead the way next Friday night.