Injured Cats resigned to Hawkins’ fate

Hawkins served a onematch ban for a jumper punch on Adelaide’s Matt Crouch this year. If the Cats appeal the latest ban, they risk losing Hawkins for three games.

Hocking said the club had spoken to its legal team about the Duncan incident.

The Cats are likely to probe the MRP’s decision to label Duncan’s strike as having medium impact.

Papley got up quickly after the hit and played the rest of the game.

“Probably the area (we are looking at) is the contact piece. The medium impact, whether or not there is an opportunity around that,” he said.

“I’ve had a conversation with Mitch and also our legal council. We will sleep on that tonight and reconvene in the morning, work through and make a decision from there.”

A two-game ban will be handed to Duncan if he appeals the decision and fails.

Geelong heads into Saturday afternoon’s clash with Richmond at Simonds Stadi- um with a list of unavailabilities and injuries seemingly growing by the day.

Joel Selwood had surgery yesterday to repair the ankle damaged in a Lance Franklin tackle on Friday night.

“Everything went according to plan which is really pleasing,” Hocking said on AFL360 last night.

“They’re saying it’s really successful. From here it’s really about progression now.

“I think that’s the thing we have got to work through. The expectation with the surgery is that he will be back running in three weeks.”

The Cats are also without Mark Blicavs and a string of small forwards, including Nakia Cockatoo and Lincoln McCarthy.

Despite the positive surgery news, Selwood also faces a race against time to be ready for Geelong’s push for finals.

“(I’ll) try and get back as soon as I can,” Selwood said.

“Yeah, I am, absolutely (confident I can make it back for finals). I wouldn’t be having the operation if I didn’t think so.”