Nick Watson was left on the ground for at least three minutes on Thursday night after a heavy knock in a marking contest, before Hawthorn’s medical staff eventually removed him for a head injury assessment in Launceston, Tasmania. The forward was accidentally collected across the side of the head by Adelaide defender Jordon Butts before crashing heavily into the turf during the second term of Hawthorn’s nine-point win.
Commentators were critical that Watson was not taken straight from the field, with the delay drawing fresh scrutiny to AFL head-knock protocols. But Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell backed the club’s handling of the incident after the match and said he had full faith in the medical team, adding that club doctor Dr Liam West went to Watson straight away.
Watson initially stayed on the ground after speaking to a member of Hawthorn’s medical team and indicating he was fine. Footage was then reviewed soon after, and he was escorted from the field and into the rooms. He later passed the head injury assessment and returned in the second half.
The match finished Hawthorn 10.15 to Adelaide 9.12, and Watson still finished with 12 possessions, 11 score involvements and two goals. Mitchell’s defence of the club’s process came after the incident had already become the main talking point of the night, with questions focused on whether Watson should have been removed immediately for assessment.
Watson later told Kayo Sports the boys said he had a low bar in the concussion test to pass anyway, and said the test took about 10 minutes. He said he was annoyed by the delay because he wanted to get back out and missed the whole line meeting at half-time. “I’m fine. I bounced back to my feet. I’m glad I passed it,” he said, adding that he struggles with the test even when he is not concussed.
The episode has again put AFL head-knock management under the spotlight, even though Watson was cleared to return and played out the second half. For Hawthorn, the immediate sporting damage was limited to a brief interruption in a game it still won, but the optics of leaving a player with a head knock on the turf for several minutes is likely to linger longer than the scoreline.
