The AFL has acknowledged a mistake in Thursday night’s match between Collingwood and Fremantle, where play was allowed to continue despite Lachie Schultz suffering a heavy concussion following a fourth-quarter collision.
Schultz was left visibly dazed and unsteady on his feet after clashing with Jordan Clark, yet the umpires let the game go on, culminating in a Jamie Elliott goal just seconds later. The league has now admitted that play should have been stopped to attend to the injured Collingwood forward.
“The play can be stopped by the umpires, who are instructed to stop play as soon as they are aware there is an injured player in the vicinity of play,” an AFL spokesperson told the Herald Sun.
“In last night’s match, the umpires did not see the injured player at the time, so play continued. Upon review, if the umpires were aware, play would have been stopped when Daicos had possession in the centre of the ground.”
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‘It didn’t feel right’: Moore voices concern
Speaking after the match, Collingwood captain Darcy Moore said the incident was “rattling” for both sides and that the decision not to halt play left players feeling unsettled.
“First things first, when you see an incident like what happened with Lachie Schultz, just competing so hard, it’s just so rattling to see,” Moore told Fox Footy.
“When the game’s on the line, to have one of your heart and soul players experience that — a concussion like that — it’s pretty rattling.
“It felt like … well, he was right in front of me, so I could see how much he struggled walking, so it just felt like, 20 seconds — it was a set shot anyway — it felt like it was right in that moment (for play to stop).”
Moore also revealed players from both clubs believed the game should have paused so Schultz could be safely removed from the field.
Schultz, who has a history of concussion, will now enter the AFL’s protocols and miss at least one match, with his return date uncertain.