Crows midfielder Ebony Marinoff played out Saturday night’s win over Carlton with a freak mouth injury.

Marinoff, 20, suffered a split tongue in a nasty head clash with opponent Katie Loynes early in the third quarter. The collision forced Loynes from the ground with a cut above her eyebrow.

In pain but unable to see her injury, Marinoff remained on the ground.

Remarkably, the Rising Star’s immediate instinct was to go after the loose ball before she realised the umpire had signaled the blood rule for Loynes.

Marinoff, who has a habit of poking her tongue out while playing, said it was fortunate she was wearing a mouth guard at the time.

“It hurt and my tongue felt weird, but I had no idea it was in two pieces!,” Marinoff said.

“It was just after half time, so I was fresh and didn’t think I needed to come off at that stage.”

It wasn’t until after the game that the Club doctor informed Marinoff she’d need several stitches in her tongue.

Despite the bizarre injury, the tough onballer was judged Adelaide’s best player on the night along with co-captain Chelsea Randall.

Marinoff’s food intake has been affected as the wound heals, but her chatty demeanor has not with coach Bec Goddard joking the doctor should have sewn the bubbly All Australian’s mouth shut!

Marinoff and her Crows teammates will travel to Darwin this week for a must-win clash with Fremantle at TIO Stadium on Friday night.

The injury was too graphic to show in its original form!