Following the incidental head clash between teammates Zak Butters and captain Tom Jonas in the last quarter of Thursday night's clash at the MCG, discussions have been sparked as to whether or not the players should have received concussion tests.
The contest which saw Jonas and Butters' head come in contact with one another was a sickening sight, with the Port Adelaide players being rushed to the bench with blood streaming from their faces.
The Power skipper had a cut above his right eye and spent roughly eight minutes on the bench, receiving attention and treatment to curb the bleeding and numb the pain.
Butters had a gruesome slash across his upper cheek, which saw the small forward off the field for six-to-seven minutes.
Although appearing slightly groggy, both players did not receive concussion tests after the substantial head clash, in what would almost warrant immediate assessment from club and AFL doctors.
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley defended the decision not to test the players, saying the professionalism of the Power doctors should not come under examination.
"Are you questioning a doctor of 25 years' experience that he made a wrong decision?" Hinkley said.
"Do you think a doctor of 25 years would take a risk with concussion with the seriousness of injuries that go on now with concussion?
"I gather there'd be some conversation around the collision but people get cuts in football and don't get concussion.
"I've got a doctor who has been with our footy club for 25 years. The conversation between our doctor and our football manager during the game was these boys have got no issue with concussion.
"If anyone has got a challenge on that and they feel more qualified than Mark Fisher who is a 25-year AFL doctor, feel free, but I think you want to be really sure that you're not trying to make calls from outside the fence when you've got no knowledge.
"We've got a very experienced doctor who has the utmost respect in the AFL."
Power legend Kane Cornes also weighed in on this matter, after speaking to the club and providing some insight on Melbourne radio.
“I’ve just spoken to the club and I can give you a bit of an insight into how it happened last night,” Cornes said on SEN Breakfast.
“They had a contingency plan after they saw the issue.
We’re going to be two players down, we’ve already used our sub, how are we going to slow the game down and slow our ball movement down?
“That’s what started to happen with the discussion between Ken Hinkley upstairs and those on the bench. After a few minutes Mark Fisher said, ‘well they’re not concussed, it’s just a cut, they’ve both just got a cut’.
“If there’s any thought that there was pressure from Ken Hinkley to put the players back on, it’s completely inaccurate.
“They don’t expect that the AFL will investigate this. Clearly they put their faith and trust in the doctors. They are fully supportive of the doctor who has been there for 25 years.
“The words are, if they’re not happy with the process then the AFL should change it.
“How many concussions would Mark Fisher have diagnosed in his 25 years? Thousands of them.
“It wouldn’t just be automatic that every head knock, you’re in concussion (protocols). There would be a triage process where they look at the cues and think this needs further investigation or it doesn’t.”
Opposition and Richmond coach Damien Hardwick also showed his full support, alluding to the knowledge and experience AFL club doctors have in our game.
“I don’t think there’s a sport in the world that looks after their players as well as AFL,” he said.
“From our point of view, I’ve known those doctors for many, many years at Port Adelaide and like our guys, they’re all first-class.
“They would never put a player at risk, no question.
“They make a quick assessment and that’s what they do, that’s what they’re paid to do, and they put them back (on).”
The AFL's chief medicial officer weighed in on the matter on Friday, clearing Port Adelaide officials of any wrongdoing.
The AFL have released a statement saying it is "satisfied" Port complied with the AFL's concussion guidelines last night.
"The Chief Medical Officer reviewed the HawkEye vision of the collision last night between Port Adelaide players Jonas and Butters. He has also reviewed the management of the players at the time including the sideline assessment and HawkEye evaluation by the club doctors.
“Ultimately, there was no clinical indication of concussion that warranted further investigation and testing, thus the club doctors allowing both players to return to the field.”
Port Adelaide went down to the Tigers by 12 points and now sit 5-7.
