Two huge hits in Port Adelaide v Geelong game: Hamish Hartlett stretchered off, Lindsay Thomas reported

PORT Adelaide and Geelong wound back the clock to the 1980s with the motorised stretcher sent out twice in a matter of minutes, Lindsay Thomas reported and potentially in strife for another big hit.

Tempers flare after Lindsay Thomas cleaned up Scott Selwood. Picture: SARAH REED

HAMISH Hartlett was taken off the field on a motorised stretcher after a brutal collision with Patrick Dangerfield and Lindsay Thomas is on report after one crazy quarter in Adelaide.

Harlett and Dangerfield clashed heads at high speed, leaving Hartlett bleeding profusely from the head in shocking scenes at Adelaide Oval.

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The game was stopped during the second quarter to allow a stretcher to take Hartlett from the field, and no sooner was it in the sheds than it was called into action again after Thomas cleaned up Scott Selwood.

Trainers assist a bloodied Hamish Hartlett.

As it turned out, the stretcher wasn’t needed with Selwood getting to his feet and walking to the bench — which was just a few metres from where Thomas crashed into him.

Selwood was diving for the ball when Thomas collected him front-on with what looked like a shoulder to the head.

The former Kangaroo, playing his first game for Port after coming into the team as a late inclusion for Todd Marshall (concussion), was immediately reported. But Hawthorn hard man Dermott Brereton declared there was no malice in the bump, which will be heavily scrutinised from all angles by match review officer Michael Christian on Monday.

Thomas could also be in trouble for a savage bump on young Geelong defender Jack Henry in the third quarter — which came minutes before Port star Ollie Wines limped off with an ankle injury.

Lindsay Thomas gave away a free kick for this bump on Jack Henry. #AFLPowerCats pic.twitter.com/3k0QlNTO7G

— AFL (@AFL) April 21, 2018

While many were quick to calculate how many weeks Thomas will miss, Brereton leapt to the former Kangaroo’s defence.

“He does turn his head to the ball ... he looks for where his opponent is and then he goes (for the bump),” Brereton said.

“In real time that looks bad but when you look at the slowed down version, he’s turning and looking to the ball.

“You are entitled to bump your opponent to keep them away from the ball and I believe that was his intention.

“He’s looking there (at Selwood) and he’s already turned looking for the ball just as contact is imminent.”

Lindsay Thomas cleans up Scott Selwood. Picture: Sarah Reed

Lindsay Thomas went past the ball before bumping Selwood. Picture: Sarah Reed

Tempers flare in front of the bench. Picture: Sarah Reed

If the bump is deemed intentional with medium impact to the head, he is looking at a two-match suspension, while international conduct with high impact is three-matches or more, including the possibility of a trip to the tribunal.

Brereton believes there is a case for it to be graded as careless but knows the penalty with take into account the medical report supplied by Geelong.

“I honestly think Lindsay wanted to put him out of the contest to win the ball, the same as the Cotchin issue (on Dylan Shiel from the preliminary final),” he told Fox Footy.

“I don’t think there’s a lot of malic in it but it does not look good.

“I’m on Lindsay’s side a bit here. I don’t think there’s real malice in it that he wanted to go ‘I’ve had enough of you and I want you out’.

“It might appear that way but I’m on Lindsay’s side with this.”

Remarkably, Hartlett returned to the field after passing concussion tests.

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