Mason Wood has been stretchered from the field after a sickening incident with a teammate in the first quarter of St Kilda’s AFL clash with Collingwood on Thursday night.
The 30-year-old leapt with the flight of the ball in a bid to spoil Darcy Cameron but instead he and Zaine Cordy collided behind the Pies big man.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Mason Wood receives standing ovation from the MCG.
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Cordy went down on his back and side while Wood flipped and appeared to be knocked out cold as soon as he hit the ground.
Play was brought to a halt as medical officials rushed to check on Wood.
“They’ve stopped play because there is concern for Mason Wood. He was the collateral damage in that marking contest and there is concern for him here and he is in good hands,” Alister Nicholson said in commentary for Channel 7.
“He’s come down very heavily and understandably the umpires have called a halt to the play.”
Brian Taylor said: “This is shocking what we’re seeing.”
In a hugely positive development before he was driven off the ground, Wood could be seen talking to the club doctor and moving his arms. He was taken off to hospital afterwards.
St Kilda players gathered to support their teammate before he left the field following the eight-minute delay.
Saints substitute Zak Jones entered the game for Wood, who has now been stretched off following a concussion incident twice in his AFL career.
In 2016 the then North Melbourne player was knocked out after taking a high-flying mark in the goal square at Marvel Stadium.
Wood was delisted by the Kangaroos at the end of 2020 but has taken his second chance with St Kilda with both hands.
Dale Thomas noted the forward had improved his ability to help in defence in recent years.
“Like everything if that isn’t your go you have to work on that whether it be throughout the work watching tape to find yourself in a position,” the Collingwood premiership player said on Thursday night.
“But at the end of day it’s a mindset to flick a switch to go right if I have to go and my team demands that of me and we demand that of each other, at that point in time it’s my turn. He’s done that many times over the past couple of seasons.”
The Saints showed their resolve after Wood’s knockout blow by kicking four unanswered goals to end the quarter.