Shaun Higgins flattened by big bump from teammate Jed Anderson at pre-season training

North Melbourne midfielder Jed Anderson took pre-season match simulation to a new level today when he lined up Kangaroos best-and-fairest winner Shaun Higgins.

NORTH Melbourne is breathing a sigh of relief after star midfielder Shaun Higgins emerged unscathed after copping a front-on bump from teammate Jed Anderson during match simulation at Arden St today.

Higgins took the ball away from a stoppage but was immediately stopped in his tracks by Anderson, who was on the opposition side.

WATCH VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT IN THE PLAYER ABOVE

The back-to-back best-and-fairest winner was clearly winded in the incident and took some time to get up. He left the field for an assessment soon after and was given the all-clear by the medicos.

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Coach Brad Scott admitted he was relieved Higgins was fine after the collision, but while there was no malice in the incident, he said it was further evidence that some players’ competitive instincts are always there.

“Higgo is fine and he laughed it off,” Scott said. “As he came off, he said to me, ‘I am glad he (Anderson) is on our side’.”

“The reality is we play a full contact, aggressive sport, so when the ball is there to be won our players who have those instincts are going to attack the ball like that.

“Clearly in these (intra-club) games, we don’t look to hurt each other but Jed is a player who has that instinct, and that’s the way he plays. To hold him back from that is very difficult.”

It’s not the first time Higgins has been involved in some friendly fire at training. In January 2017 he copped a cheeky bump from Luke McDonald during a session and he immediately remonstrated with the defender.

“The good players are always around the ball, so it is more likely to happen,” Scott said of Higgins’ history of having a few issues in the pre-season.

Last season Higgins was involved in a sickening clash with Ryan Burton in Round 5, which led to a serious concussion just hours after his wife had given birth to their first child.

Originally published as Shaun Higgins flattened by big bump from teammate Jed Anderson at pre-season training