Fremantle captain Alex Pearce is set to come under scrutiny for a heavy bump during the Dockers’ win over Port Adelaide on Saturday night.
Pearce collected Darcy Byrne-Jones will a huge bump that saw the Power forward eventually subbed out with concussion.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Pearce to face scrutiny for high shot.
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Byrne-Jones was going with the flight to attempt to mark a floating kick inside 50 when Pearce came charging in from the opposite direction.
The Docker was late to the contest and his shoulder made contact with Byrne-Jones’ head. He spent a minute getting to his feet before being helped from the field with the assistance of medical staff.
Darcy Byrne-Jones suffered a concussion after a heavy hit from Alex Pearce. Credit: Getty Pearce initially looked like he was setting out to take a mark or produce a spoil, but he took his eyes off the ball at the last moment when he realised a collision was imminent.
Dockers coach Justin Longmuir was shown on the broadcast putting both of his hands on his face in the coaches’ box when the hit occurred, while players from both sides remonstrated.
The incident happened with just under two minutes remaining in the second quarter.
Byrne-Jones was subbed out during the half-time break with the club confirming it was a concussion.
Former West Coast coach Adam Simpson said it was “pretty tough on Pearce”.
“Like I said earlier, you’ve got your eyes on the ball until you don’t,” Simpson said on Fox Footy.
“For Pearce, when someone is running at you back with the flight and you want to mark the ball and you go ‘oh I can’t get this ball without knocking this guy’, you instinctively take your eyes off it and then it’s up to the lap of the gods as to what happens.”
The match review officer’s findings will be released on Sunday.
Pearce hasn’t missed a game this year and will leave a massive whole in Fremantle’s defence.
The Dockers take on the Suns next week before they have the bye. They then face North Melbourne and Essendon.
In difficult conditions with constant rain throughout, Fremantle were far too good for Port Adelaide, running out convincing 49-point winners.
The impressive display improved their season record to 6-5, while Port’s finals hopes are looking dire at 4-7.
Luke Jackson was the dominant figure on the ground as the lead ruckman, Murphy Reid showed why he’s being touted as a future superstar with the second four-goal haul of his career, while Caleb Serong racked up 29 disposals and 12 clearances.
There’s been talk Jackson could request a trade back to Melbourne at the end of the season, but the way he’s embraced the lead ruck role over the past two weeks in the absence of Sean Darcy has heightened hopes among Fremantle fans he will stay put.
“It was good fun,” Jackson told Fox Footy.
“I do love it (playing in the ruck). It’s a good position. You’re around the ball most of the time. I feel like that’s where I play my best footy.
“I’m just happy the team got a win, we’re on a roll now.
“I love Freo, I love the club, and I’m just really happy with my footy at the moment, and I’m really happy.”
Mitch Georgiades kicked three goals for Port and Ollie Wines tallied 33 disposals and seven clearances, but the Power coudn’t kick a winning score despite winning the inside 50m count, with the absence of Jason Horne-Francis keenly felt.
Fremantle defender Cooper Simpson lasted less than nine minutes, with the 20-year-old subbed out after injuring his left shoulder in a heavy hip-and-shoulder with Logan Evans.
Port tallied 20 inside 50s to eight in the opening term, with the rain not affecting their early chip-mark tactics.
Two goals to Georgiades, including one from a strong contested mark in the goalsquare, got them early rewards, but Fremantle proved to be the more efficient team in attack on the way to taking a two-point lead into quarter time.
Fremantle capitalised on Jackson’s ruck dominance to open up a 15-point lead in the second term, but a goal to Willie Rioli in his 100-game milestone just 10 seconds before half-time reduced the gap to eight points.
The rain went away in the third term, and Fremantle capitalised with four goals to nil to open up a match-winning lead.
– With AAP