The Tomahawk is blunt right now, so Geelong are relying on some other big weapons.

Cats key forward Tom “Tomahawk” Hawkins is still clearly suffering a lower-back injury.

But the way his fellow key position players work so effectively, it hasn’t mattered.

Geelong’s ability to rotate their tall players up and down the ground was crucial in Friday night’s slick 28-point win in the AFL blockbuster against Essendon.

Hawkins, last year’s club best and fairest winner, is nowhere near 100 per cent fit and struggled against rising Essendon star Jake Carlisle.

While he outbodied Carlisle superbly in the second term to kick a goal, Hawkins had minimal influence on the game.

But the Cats key position players have become masters at changing positions quickly and backing each other up.

When Essendon pressed in the second term, key forward James Podsiadly went back and was prominent as the Cats quickly rallied.

In the blink of an eye, a dangerous 21-point deficit was a four-point lead at halftime.

Key defender Tom Lonergan also pressed forward several times and was dangerous, kicking two crucial goals through the middle of the match.

It is a ploy that has also worked well for star Cats backman Harry Taylor this season.

By contrast, Essendon’s key forwards were struggling to have an influence.

The lack of tall marking targets inside 50 did not help the Bombers as they had control of the play through the third term, but kicked a wasteful 1.8.

Cats ruckman Mark Blicavs, the former national-level steeplechaser, also kicked goals at the start of the first and last terms as he continues his impressive development.

Heaven help opposition defences when Hawkins returns to full fitness.