Brody Mihocek left the King’s Birthday clash in the second quarter after a Billy Frampton tackle drove his head into the turf and forced a lengthy stoppage. Mihocek was attended to by trainers after a 10-minute delay, with both playing groups gathering around him as he lay on the ground.
Frampton was awarded a holding the ball free kick for the tackle, but the immediate concern quickly shifted to Mihocek’s condition. He appeared dazed after the collision, and there were fears of neck damage after the contact with the turf.
The incident came in one of the AFL’s most familiar fixtures, a match that regularly draws heavy attention because of the occasion as much as the football. Mihocek, a mature-aged recruit who debuted for Collingwood in the run to the 2018 Grand final, has long been a reliable forward presence across two clubs and has kicked 283 majors from 169 matches.
What made the scene more alarming was his concussion history. Mihocek has already had concussion issues in 2020, 2023 and earlier in 2026, so there was no sense that anyone around him was treating the injury as routine. In a game that had already been stopped for the free kick, the priority became getting him assessed properly and keeping the situation under control.
No official diagnosis was provided after he was taken from the contest, and that is the question left hanging after the sirens moved on. Given his history, his rehabilitation and medical assessment are expected to be handled cautiously, with no corners cut before he is allowed back into action.
