Todd Marshall will miss Port Adelaide’s preliminary final against Sydney after entering concussion protocols the morning after his side’s thrilling three-point AFL semi-final win over Hawthorn.
The key forward copped a knock to the head during the second quarter of Friday night’s clash and went down into the rooms to be assessed.
Initial fears that Marshall was done for the night were later eased though, with Port medical staff clearing him to go back on the field.
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The 23-year-old recorded just one handball in the third quarter and was eventually subbed out at three-quarter time.
Now, the club has confirmed in a statement that he was suffering from a concussion, meaning he must sit out for at least 12 days.
“Port Adelaide forward Todd Marshall has entered concussion protocols following a head knock on Friday night,” the Power said on Saturday morning.
“Marshall underwent a head injury assessment during the second quarter, which he passed.
“The 25-year-old later failed a secondary concussion test post-game. Marshall will miss Friday’s preliminary final against Sydney.”
The Power’s medical staff will now face scrutiny for the second time in two years.
Last year, Port were fined $100,000 for breaching concussion protocols following a sickening friendly-fire hit between teammates Aliir Aliir and Lachie Jones.
The two players were involved in a brutal collision during their clash with Adelaide in July last year.
Jones was subbed out with a migraine, but Aliir returned to the field without undergoing a SCAT5 concussion test.
Port Adelaide initially backed club doctor Mark Fisher’s handling of the incident in the aftermath of the game, but two days later placed both players in concussion protocols and admitted they made an error on match-day.
Half of the fine ($50,000) was included in Port Adelaide’s football department soft cap.
The remainder of the fine was to sit outside the cap unless the club committed a similar breach before the end of the 2024 AFL and AFLW seasons.
There is no suggestion from 7NEWS.com.au that Port Adelaide breached the protocols on Friday night. But if the AFL deems they did, the Power will be faced with the possibility of having to include the second half of the fine inside the soft cap.
The AFL has been contacted for comment.
More to come …