Power to be handed massive fine for concussion botching in Showdown

The AFL are set to hand Port Adelaide a punishment that will send a warning sign around the league after their mishandling of Aliir Aliir’s concussion on Saturday night.

The moment Aliir Aliir and Lachie Jones clash Heads in Saturday nights SHowdown. Picture: Fox Sports.

Port Adelaide is expected to be handed a massive fine for its botched concussion management on Friday but will escape any loss of draft picks or premiership points.

The league was on Thursday assessing Port Adelaide’s submission after handing the Power a please explain when club doctor Mark Fisher returned Aliir Aliir to the field on Saturday night.

Teammate Lachie Jones underwent a SCAT5 concussion test but was diagnosed with a migraine, with the league ensuring both players were subsequently put in the concussion protocol.

It is understood the fine will be significant enough to send a warning sign to all clubs that they can never again risk a player’s health after such a dangerous head knock.

The league was furious that the Power transgressed despite a huge education program from the league around concussion and its detailed concussion rules regarding on field incidents.

Many rival clubs would have put both players immediately into the concussion protocol after the head clash but the Power did not even give Aliir a SCAT5 test.

Aliir returned to the ground without receiving a concussion test. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Port Adelaide chairman David Koch said this week the Power deserved a penalty given they had placed Aliir Aliir at risk and made a mistake with their concussion management.

Some commentators had suggested the Power could face a loss of draft picks or premiership points but the league reserves those penalties for instances where clubs illegally attempt to gain an advantage over their rivals.

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley stood by Fisher despite his mistake on Thursday and said he would be at the club’s GMHBA Stadium clash against Geelong.

Former player Kane Cornes said this week he could vouch for Fisher’s character and said “good club stick by good people”.

The moment Aliir Aliir and Lachie Jones clashed heads in the Showdown. Picture: Fox Sports.

Richmond was handed a $100,000 fine for Covid breaches in 2021 after a drunken fight at a kebab shop involving two players ($75,000) and Brooke Cotchin’s unauthorised trip to a day spa.

That penalty was entirely in the club’s soft cap, but it is now known how much of the Power fine will be in its soft cap or suspended after a 2016 fine handed to Port Adelaide for concussion management over its treatment of Hamish Hartlett.

In that instance $10,000 of the $20,000 fine was suspended until the end of 2018.

Sydney was also handed a $100,000 fine (half suspended) last year for players not uploading rapid antigen test results in a timely manner or uploading an image of a previously-taken test, with Collingwood fined $50,000 (half suspended).