The AFL’s head-butting protocols have come under renewed scrutiny after prolific forward Nick Watson was initially left on the field for at least three minutes on Thursday night despite suffering a violent collision in a marking tackle.
The brutal clash occurred during the second term of a dour contest in Chilly Launceston as Hawthorn beat Adelaide by nine points, 10.15 (75) to 9.12 (66).
The Hawks’ victory came on the back of a quarter-time burst from coach Sam Mitchell along with four goals from surprise striker Blake Hardwick.
But the loss came at an additional cost to the Ravens, who coughed up 12 points in the second quarter before losing star midfielder Izak Rankine to a leg injury during the third period.
Watson’s incident dominated the debate at halftime. The fearless forward looked as if he might miss the count after going backwards and running for the ball during the second term.
He was accidentally collected on the side of the head by Crows defender Jordon Butts before crashing hard into the field.
Commentators were critical that a visibly dazed Watson was not taken straight from the ground for a head injury assessment (HIA).
But when asked about the time that passed after the game, Hawks coach Sam Mitchell said he had full faith in the club’s medical team.
“Westy (club doctor Dr Liam West) is probably on the safer side of things,” Mitchell said.
“He came from him (Watson) immediately, he said that he had to leave, but he left him immediately.”
Watson initially sat down after speaking to a member of Hawthorn’s medical team and indicated he was fine.
But the footage was reviewed shortly afterwards and Watson was escorted off the pitch and into the rooms. It was not known whether the AFL checkpoint intervened.
The young forward passed the HIA and returned to the field in the second half. He had just 12 possessions on the night but was involved in 11 points and finished with two goals.
Watson joked to Kayo Sports after the match that “the boys said I was too low in the concussion test to pass anyway”.
“I’m fine. I got back on my feet. I’m happy I passed (the concussion test) while I’m fighting it, even if I’m not confused,” he said with a smile.
“The test lasted about 10 minutes, so I was dirty for that too. I was just sitting there trying to get back out. I missed the whole halftime meeting.”
Mitchell said he repeatedly pointed out how tough Watson was.
“Just because you can run fast doesn’t mean you’re going to be in competitive situations,” Mitchell said.
“Sometimes I wish he wasn’t so tough. But his desire and ability to hit the competition with speed, not knowing exactly what’s going to come the other way, is very difficult to play against.”
Mitchell laughed when told that Premier League teammate Luke Hodge, now a Channel Seven pundit, had never seen him angrier than at the start of the second quarter.
“I feel like I need to respond to Hodgey, and not the press conference,” Mitchell said.
“But for the press conference, we needed to work at a high level, and at the levels that we knew were needed to win a game like that, and we weren’t living up to it.
“As for Hodgey himself, I think, you know, he’s seen me angry a few times, maybe it was just for him those times, but he’s been angry with me all the same.”
Hodge was in the locker room before the game to give first baseman Cameron Nairn his jumper.
Mitchell admitted he lost his cool because his Hawks were beaten in every aspect of the game when they were under siege in the first quarter – trailing in kicks (57 to 44), handballs (49 to 36), inside 50s (16 to nine) and clearances (six to one).
“You can’t lose contests with tackles and clearances like we were early on, so I was happy we got the answers we needed to win the game,” he said.
Mitchell praised Hardwick’s ability to play as a forward in the absence of Jack Gunston, but said he was likely to return to defense in the coming weeks.
“Blake is finally getting a bit of credit outside our walls, the way he’s been with us for a long time, but he’s a fantastic footballer,” the Hawthorn coach said.
“His competition is good, he’s a good kicker, and he’s going to get a lot of credit for tonight, and he should, but he’s got to play a lot more weeks. He hit four today, he’s regularly giving up four or more.”
Mitchell noted Jarman Impey’s possession of 12, praised forwards Mabior Chol and Mitch Lewis for their competitive work on a slippery night, and said he was delighted that the mighty Josh Weddle was able to save the score by getting a fingertip on the defensive end.
Hawks fans will be tuning in to Box Hill’s VFL clash in Williamstown on Friday night to see the return of star midfielder Will Day from shoulder surgery. Mitchell would not be drawn on his AFL return date.
“I just want him to be happy,” Mitchell said. “He’s good on his feet, and he’ll be back in the AFL side once the medical team thinks that’s a good option for him.
