AFL Finals: All the Port Adelaide injury news as forward Todd Marshall enters concussion protocols after returning to the field against Hawthorn

Despite returning to the field on Friday night, Port Adelaide forward Todd Marshall has entered concussion protocols after copping yet another head knock.

The future of Port Adelaide’s Todd Marshall hangs under a cloud after he suffered a second concussion in 35 days on Friday night and fifth in just over three years.

But in some good news for the Power, star Jason Horne-Francis says he is fine after dealing with a quad issue and then what he described as the worst cramp of his life.

Marshall copped a knee to the back of the head from teammate Mitch Georgiades in the second term of the Power’s thrilling semi-final win over Hawthorn.

The key forward underwent a SCAT6 test and passed, which meant he played on.

However, he was later subbed out of the contest and then failed a secondary concussion test post-match.

Todd Marshall talks with Port Adelaide’s doctors on Friday night. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos

The result means Marshall is in protocols and will miss the Power’s preliminary final against Sydney next week.

But there are now broader questions around about the 25-year-old’s future in the game, given it is the fifth time in just over three years that he has suffered a concussion.

Marshall signed a five-year contract in February but his career is now under a serious cloud.

His last game before the semi-final was in Round 22 against Melbourne in which he was subbed out with a concussion.

Last year, he suffered two concussions in a month, which prompted the Power to get extra testing and resulted in an extremely cautious approach with any head knock Marshall has suffered since.

He was also concussed against Geelong in round 13, 2021.

Marshall takes a big mark in the Power’s semi-final win. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images

Teammate Jason Horne-Francis said the playing group would support Marshall.

“Knowing his history we are behind him 100 per cent and we will give him as much time as possible as he needs to recover,” he said.

“It is disappointing but we are behind him 100 per cent and we will get around him and hopefully he is back soon.”

Charlie Dixon, who was a late out on Friday night due to illness, now shapes as a likely replacement for Marshall against the Swans.

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley said on Saturday Dixon was “a bit crook” during the day but the Power had had every intention of playing him against the Hawks.

“He was always going to play,” Hinkley said on SEN radio.

“He reported that morning that he wasn’t feeling great.

“He just felt lacking of energy and clearly in a game like that you just can’t play at that level and it forced us to make some changes.”

In good news for the Power, Horne-Francis said he was in no doubt to take on the Swans at the SCG after he was helped off the ground in the fourth quarter on Friday night.

“I feel good, just a bit of cramp and have gotten over that and no DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) or anything like so it’s good,” he said.

Before the cramping, Horne-Francis looked to be nursing a right quad issue at but he said that was also fine.

“I don’t know, it might have been a corkie or something like that but we have assessed it today and I have all my strength and everything like that,” he said.

“I can walk around on it and it feels good so we should be all right.”

Horne-Francis said the cramp was the worst he had ever dealt with.

“It was, the worst cramp I have ever got,” he said.

“I was trying to get off the ground and I couldn’t get off and the ball ended up coming to me as well so I had to deal with that as well.”

Originally published as AFL Finals: All the Port Adelaide injury news as forward Todd Marshall enters concussion protocols after returning to the field against Hawthorn