Hawthorn defender Jack Scrimshaw is set for a period on the sidelines under concussion protocols, but an incident from Friday's game involving Essendon's Jordan Ridley could potentially see the Hawk's absence extended.
Scrimshaw didn't return to the field following a second-quarter head collision with teammate Josh Battle, with the 26-year-old entering concussion protocols as a result, with the club to monitor further potential injuries to his face.
The injury will rule Scrimshaw out of Hawthorn's Round 2 bout with Carlton next Thursday, however the AFL's Match Review Officer could hand the Hawks backman a suspension worth multiple weeks.
Earlier in the same term as his friendly fire collision, Scrimshaw collected Ridley high with a swinging left arm as the Bombers defender disposed of the ball.
Ridley was able to continue in the match at first, however was eventually ruled out of the game under concussion protocols also.
Ridley's diagnosis could see Scrimshaw facing a lengthy suspension for striking, with the MRO to assess the conduct, impact and contact gradings of the incident if deemed a reportable offence.
The conduct grading would likely be viewed as 'careless', with the contact grading to be set at 'high'. The impact grading is what will determine the extent of the potential suspension, with a grading of 'medium' or higher leading to a suspension.
Recent acts that have led to concussion have seen gradings of 'severe', which could see Scrimshaw handed a ban of three or more matches and potentially set up a Tribunal hearing.
Jordan Ridley has been ruled out of the game following this incident involving Jack Scrimshaw.#AFLHawksDons pic.twitter.com/TPh8W9b3Ex
— AFL (@AFL) March 14, 2025
A 'high' grading would mean Scrimshaw would miss two matches, with the Hawks scheduled for games against Carlton, GWS and Port Adelaide, including a Round 4 bye between the fixtures with the Giants and Power.
The MRO will hand down their findings from Friday's match on Saturday evening.
