Crow Patrick Dangerfield admits the players were worried after seeing teammate Tom Lynch involved in a sickening head-on collision at the Gabba on Sunday.
Lynch, who collided head-first with an opponent in the second quarter, was placed in a neck brace and taken from the ground on a stretcher in the second quarter. Adelaide’s 2013 leading goalkicker was taken to hospital for precautionary scans, which cleared him of any serious damage.
Dangerfield said he was relieved to see his good mate moving his extremities as he was being assessed by Club medical staff out on the ground.
“It was really worrying. When I went over there, Tom could move his arms and his legs. As players, there was nothing we could control anyway but at least we knew his arms and legs were working,” Dangerfield told FIVEaa on Monday.
“Tom was in very capable hands with our doctor and physios. As harsh as it might sound, we then had to worry about setting up because ‘Tex’ (Taylor Walker) was having a shot at goal.
“We had to get on with it pretty quickly.”
Lynch, who is nursing a jarred neck, was fortunate and is listed as a ‘test’ for this week.
The news might not be so good for defender Andy Otten, who was also stretchered off with a serious knee injury. Otten’s right knee buckled as he prepared to jump into a marking contest. The versatile Crow, who was in typically good spirits on the flight home, will have scans on Monday to determine the extent of the injury.
Dangerfield said the injury had put a dampener on Adelaide’s 105-point win.
“It was a hard one. We were really happy with the way we played, but at the same time we were feeling for our mates who had sustained potentially serious injuries," he said.
“Fortunately, Tom is okay but we’re not sure what the outcome for Andy is yet. Andy’s such an important player for us. He’s had a really good season since coming back into the side. He just plays that third tall role incredibly well. He’s certainly someone we’ll miss if he is out (for a period of time).”
Dangerfield said the coaches and players addressed the injury concerns at half time of the game.
“We knew it was going to be tough, but we had to grit our teeth. The way to go forward from there was together,” he said.
“I thought it was a really even contribution. We had some players who had outstanding games, but on the whole it was a really good team performance especially given the humidity and the fact we were two players down.”
The Crows will now focus on recovery and preparing for a blockbuster clash with Richmond at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.
The Tigers have rocketed back into finals contention on the back of six straight wins. This week’s game is crucial for both teams.
Dangerfield said the Crows, who climbed to seventh on the AFL ladder following the big win over Brisbane, had to keep a narrow focus heading into the last three rounds of the home-and-away season.
“People will ask us now about playing finals, but the reality is we could be 11th or 12th depending on percentage and other things. All we can worry about is our next opponent because simply we’re one loss away from being well outside of the eight,” he said.
“Sando brought it up in our team meeting yesterday. We were really happy with the win, but it was already 5 o’clock on Sunday, so basically we said, ‘Righto, it’s time to move onto Richmond’.
“They’re playing really bold and attacking footy. I think they’ve thrown caution to the wind and just said, ‘Let’s go for it’ and that’s showing in their game style. They’re not worried about making mistakes and are taking the game on.
“We were really disappointed with how we played against West Coast in front of our home ground (a fortnight ago). Our fans do a terrific job to turn up every week and watch us, which we absolutely love. We really disappointed them last time we played at home, so it’s time to rectify that.”
