Collingwood puzzled over concussion call despite two guns passing tests
The AFL’s new concussion rules could be challenged by Collingwood in Round 9 after two players were ruled out with head knocks, despite passing concussion tests.
Magpies coach Nathan Buckley revealed post-game that Jordan Roughead and Nathan Murphy had both passed their tests, despite being withdrawn from Saturday’s win over North Melbourne by club medicos.
Under league rules, the pair won’t be available for the clash with Sydney next weekend. But the Pies are likely to assess whether exemptions can be granted by the AFL’s chief medical officer.
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“Both of the boys that came out of the game actually passed concussion tests,” Buckley said in his post-game press conference.
“I was just having a chat to Wrighty (Graham Wright) before I walked in, about what does that mean if they passed concussion tests? We will be gathering that information through the week.”
When asked how Murphy was able to be subbed off for concussion, Buckley said:
“That’s what I’ll be finding out. Largely it comes down to our docs, vision is included in that.
“I understand the decision in the moment, he needs to make it off the back of all the available evidence. The test is just one, I don’t know what that means going forward.
“If I said anymore I’d be speaking out of school.”
Four-time premiership player Jordan Lewis was puzzled how a decision was reached, but believed the club doctors would have looked at other factors rather than just the pure concussion test.
Murphy missed a week of action earlier this season due to a head knock in the VFL.
“Well I think from my reading the doctor thought it was his decision to take him off for concussion,” Lewis said on Fox Footy’s Saturday Stretch.
“All the evidence he saw, the collision, and then probably assessed the player in Murphy. He made the decision and thought there was some concussion and brought him off.”
“They’ve got time to make the decision. It’s one thing where you make the decision to bring him off, but he passes the concussion test. Even Nathan Buckley was confused.”