Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley is adamant. Power players Tom Jonas and Zak Butters had no concussion after facing a lot of headaches in the AFL loss to Richmond last night.
Key points:
- Port players Zak Butters and Tom Jonas head to head at the end of the tight match against Richmond
- Power had already used his medical submarine and was reduced to two on the bench when the duo was out
- Both players returned to the field well bandaged but did not go through the protocols of concussion
Warning: This story contains graphic images.
The management of the Port by both players immediately after leaving the field will surely be subject to scrutiny by the AFL.
It’s the main point of the 12-point loss to Richmond at the MCG.
Hinkley defended veteran club doctor Mark Fisher, asking post-match questions about how Port handled the situation.
Jonas and Butters returned to the field with their faces bandaged just minutes after what Hinkley himself said “once”, although Butters had to go to the bench for treatment near the end of the game. .
It was Fisher’s call not to put the two players through 20-minute concussion protocols.
The collision and its aftermath rekindled discussion in the AFL about concussion, which is a major issue throughout world sport.
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But Hinkley said the two players did not have a concussion, adding that he spoke to them immediately after the game.
“They were both run over … (but) they weren’t lying down and they weren’t fainting, they weren’t doing anything stupid, they were talking to me very clearly: ‘Oh mate, I’m going to have a big black eye, but I’m fine said Hinkley.
“They’re tough players too … that’s a hit, for those who don’t think the game is tough.”
Hinkley made it clear that he fully trusted Fisher and the team’s football coach, Chris Davies, who were on the bench when the two bleeding players left the field.
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“I have a doctor who has been at our football club for 25 years and the conversation between our doctor and our football coach … was that these guys have no problem with concussion,” Hinkley said.
“So if anyone has a challenge in this, and they feel more qualified than Mark Fisher … don’t hesitate.
“But I think you have to be very, very sure you’re not trying to arbitrate or make some calls from outside the fence when you’re not aware of it.”
Hinkley erupted when asked if there would have been an additional assessment if the collision had happened before the match.
Zak Butters covered with bandages after returning to the field after his confrontation with his teammate Tom Jonas.
“Do you think a 25-year-old doctor would risk a concussion, with the severity of the injuries that now continue with a concussion? … Do you want him to go back to medical school?” He said
Hinkley was also asked if he expected an AFL scrutiny on the matter.
“I hope they will ask questions about a lot of things: injuries, incidents, all sorts of things,” he said.
“But this is a normal process for the AFL.”
The Power had activated its medical diver before the collision, after Trent Dumont suffered a calf injury.
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick, who was a top-tier player and assistant coach at Port, also supported Fisher.
“I don’t think there’s any sport in the world that watches over both its players and the AFL,” he said.
“They would never put a player at risk.
“They do a quick assessment and that’s what they do, that’s what they get paid.
“You have to love this game of ours: you wouldn’t see a collision like this anywhere else in the world.”
Six years ago, Port was fined $ 20,000, half suspended, for violating the rules of concussion when Hamish Hartlett was allowed to return to land too quickly after a blow to the head.
But there were extenuating circumstances, with the Port’s chief medical officer treating another injured player at the time.
AAP
Posted 51 minutes ago 51 minutes ago Thu, June 9, 2022 at 9:54 PM, updated 17 minutes ago, 17 minutes ago, Thu, June 9, 2022 at 10:27 PM