Melbourne midfielder Angus Brayshaw is "not going great" in the aftermath of his latest concussion, with the Demons star "in good spirits" but still feeling "sore" from the collision with Collingwood's Brayden Maynard on Thursday night.
Brayshaw's Qualifying Final performance was cut short in the opening term after Maynard leapt into Brayshaw in an attempt to block the Demon's kick, with Maynard moving into a bump motion before cleaning up his opponent.
The incident has seen Maynard referred directly to the AFL Tribunal for a suspension of at least three weeks, while Brayshaw will be sidelined for the next week at the very least after entering concussion protocols.
Brayshaw was taken off the field on the medi-cab and was visited by teammates Max Gawn and Christian Petracca the following day, with the latter revealing the hampered midfielder is dealing with a sore neck as a result of the collision.
The 27-year-old has dealt with concussion concerns throughout his career, with Brayshaw now set to miss Friday's semi-final against Carlton as a result of his latest head trauma blow.
"I went to visit him Friday with Gawny, he's not going great to be honest," Petracca told reporters when questioned on Brayshaw's recovery.
"He's had a bit of history with concussion. He's got a bit of a sore neck. It's really sad, he's one of my closest mates. To see anyone, whether it's a Collingwood player or Melbourne player, it is really tough to see someone on the ground.
"I can't really comment on (the Maynard hit). What we were really concerned about was our teammate and Gus on the ground. It's difficult to see.
"If we win this week, hopefully Gus feels right to play in the prelim. When I saw Gus and spoke with him, footy is just one thing. It's all about his health.
"You've got your brain for the rest of your life, footy is just a part of it. Life is more than just footy. He's in good spirits, he's sore."
The Demons will be forced into at least two changes for their clash with Carlton, with tall forward Jacob van Rooyen handed a one-game suspension for rough conduct.
The double blow came in a narrow loss to the minor premiers, forcing the Demons to go the long way round to secure a grand final berth.
The Demons were dominant against Collingwood despite the loss, winning the inside 50 count by 32 after tallying 69 entries for the evening. Inaccurate ball movement in the front half cost Simon Goodwin's side, while Petracca took some positive from the loss.
"Mixed emotions, obviously we're really flat but optimistic too," the star Demon said in reflecting on the seven-point defeat.
"Yeah we won the inside 50 count, but that wasn't a true reflection on the game I think. You probably have to look at quality over quantity, some of our efficiency going in wasn't great.
Collingwood did dominate for two or three quarters. So from that point of view, I'm more of a glass-half-full type guy, so it's positive in a way that we were only able to lose by seven points while not playing the right way.
"To their credit, their pressure was great all day."
Melbourne will now meet with Carlton a month after their four-point loss to the Blues at the same venue they last played at in Round 22, with the Demons looking to avoid a straight sets September exit for the second time in as many years.
Petracca has been left thoroughly impressed by Carlton's recent form, knowing the Blues, as well as their fans, will put forward a tough task for his side in the semi-final.
"They were great, they were awesome. Their contested style and defence was great," he said.
"Again a similar game to our one, a very slow style with no real speed on the ball. That's just finals footy, so it's going to be a great game.
"The last time we played them it was an awesome contest too. I guess every time we play them it's a good contest and their fans are great too, which we love."
Melbourne and Carlton will meet at the MCG on Friday at 7:50pm (AEST), with the winner to face Brisbane at the Gabba in a preliminary final.
