Overview

• North Melbourne ruckman Tristan Xerri suffered a glancing blow to the head early in the fourth quarter and remained on the field for about 10 minutes before undergoing a head-injury assessment.
• His delayed removal has drawn renewed criticism over discretionary on-field decisions under the AFL’s enhanced HIA system introduced this season.
• Coach Alastair Clarkson confirmed Xerri passed initial concussion tests and stated that the 26-year-old is ‘OK’ following the assessment.
• Midfielder Luke Davies-Uniacke was immediately ruled out under concussion protocols after a head-high incident in the first quarter of the same match.
• Despite granting the Concussion Review Centre power to halt play and mandate off-field checks, inconsistencies in application continue to draw scrutiny from medical experts and fans.