Hawthorn Hawks coach Sam Mitchell backs in his club’s medical team after the concussion test for Nick ‘the Wizard’ Watson against the Adelaide Crows in Launceston, Tasmania
The AFL’s heading protocols have come under renewed scrutiny after dynamic forward Nick Watson was initially left on the field for at least three minutes on Thursday night despite dealing with a heavy hit in a marking contest.
The brutal clash came in the second period of a fierce contest in frigid Launceston, where Hawthorn won by nine points over Adelaide, 10.15 (75) to 9.12 (66).
The Hawks’ victory came thanks to head coach Sam Mitchell’s lively attack in the quarter and four goals from surprise forward Blake Hardwick.
But the defeat came at an extra cost for the Crows, who had built a 12-point lead at quarter-time before losing star midfielder Izak Rankine to a calf injury in the third term.
The Watson incident was at the center of discussion during halftime. The brave forward appeared to be down for the count after running back with the ball flying in the second term.
He was accidentally collected on the side of the head by Crows defender Jordon Butts and slammed heavily onto the turf.
Commentators criticized Watson, who appeared dazed, for not being picked up directly from the floor for a head injury assessment (HIA).
But when asked about the timeout after the game, Hawks coach Sam Mitchell said he had full confidence in the club’s medical team.
“Western style [club doctor Dr Liam West] Mitchell said he’s probably on the safer side of things.
“He went to her [Watson] “He immediately said that he had to leave eventually, but he immediately went to her.”
Watson initially remained on the ground after speaking to a member of Hawthorn’s medical staff and stating that he was fine.
However, the footage was soon reviewed and Watson was taken off the field and taken to the rooms. It was not known whether the AFL review center intervened.
The small forward got past HIA and returned to the field in the second half. Despite having only 12 possessions on the night, he scored 11 goals and finished the match with two goals.
Watson joked on Kayo Sports after the game that “the lads said the bar was low for me to pass on the concussion test anyway.”
“I’m fine. I got up. I’m glad I passed. [the concussion test] “Even though I didn’t have a concussion, I still struggle with it,” he said with a grin.
“The test lasted about 10 minutes, so I was dirty about it. I was just sitting there trying to get out. I missed the whole bench meeting at halftime.”
Mitchell said he regularly points out how tough Watson is.
“Just because you can run fast doesn’t mean you can run in competitive situations,” Mitchell said.
“Sometimes I wish he wasn’t so tough. But it’s very difficult to play against his desire and ability to rush into a contest without knowing exactly what’s going to happen in the opposite direction.”
Mitchell laughed when his premiership team-mate Luke Hodge, now an analyst for Channel Seven, said he had never seen him this angry since the start of the second quarter.
“I feel like I should be responding to Hodgey and not the press conference,” Mitchell said.
“But we needed to perform at a high level in the press conference and we needed to reach the standards that we knew were required to win a game like this and we didn’t achieve those standards.
“According to Hodgey, I think he saw me pretty angry a few times, probably just angry at him at times, but he was just as angry at me.”
Hodge was in the rooms to present his singlet to debutant Cameron Nairn before the game.
Mitchell admitted that he lost his composure as he was under siege in the first quarter and the Hawks were outplayed in every phase of the game; They were outperformed in strikes (57 to 44), handballs (49 to 36), 50s (16 to nine) and mid-distances (6 to one).
“You can’t lose contests, tackles and distances early, so I’m pleased we got the reaction we needed to win the game,” he said.
Mitchell praised Hardwick’s ability to play as a forward in Jack Gunston’s absence, but said he could return to defense in the coming weeks.
“Blake is finally starting to gain some credibility outside our walls, as he has for us for a long time, but he’s an outstanding footballer,” the Hawthorn coach said.
“The competition has been outstanding, he’s got a beautiful kick and he’ll get a lot of credit for tonight, and he should, but he should have for a lot of other weeks as well. He kicked four today, he regularly stops four or more kicks.”
Mitchell noted Jarman Impey’s 12 tackles, praised big forwards Mabior Chol and Mitch Lewis for their competitive work on a slippery night and said he was pleased that versatile Josh Weddle was able to save a number of goals by tiptoeing the ball in the last line of defence.
Hawks fans will tune in to Box Hill’s VFL clash in Williamstown on Friday night to see the return of star midfielder Will Day after shoulder surgery. Mitchell will not be drawn on the AFL’s return date for him.
“I just want him to have fun,” Mitchell said. “He is good at football and will return to the AFL team as soon as the medical team think it is a good option for him.
