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THERE was no doubt that last night’s game between Fremantle and Essendon was a thrilling contest ending in heartbreak for the home team and elation for the visitors.
Also on Football Nation: What we learnt: Fremantle vs Essendon
But the game was not without a price with a number of players injured and potentially facing league sanctions.
First to exit was Luke McPharlin who, on the night when he was supposed to be celebrating his 200th game for the Dockers, was involved in a nasty collision with Essendon’s Paddy Ryder early in the first quarter. Here is the video footage of that incident:
While McPharlin was being assessed for concussion symptoms in the locker room he was replaced with Cameron Sutcliffe under the leagues new rules governing head injuries. As a result of the tests McPharlin was ruled out for the rest of the game.
Also in the first quarter Freo’s Kepler Bradley took a nasty blow to the head when he was collected by first-year Bomber Nick Kommer who could now face scrutiny by the AFL for this incident:
And finally the Bombers will now face an anxious wait on Michael Hurley who injured is wrist in a tangle right on the full-time siren.
As his team mates celebrated their amazing comeback victory, a trainer helped Hurley from the ground. The Essendon forward was bracing his right wrist and, amid fears that he may have broken the same wrist that was operated on last year, he was rushed off to the team’s changing rooms.
“The doctor said no, but obviously until we get the x-ray we won’t know,” said Essendon coach James Hird after the game.
“It got stuck under him, and there’s some scar tissue which I think he’s just broken up. That’s the initial presentation. We’ll wait and see during the week.”