Hunter Clark’s horrific injury has been laid bare, with the St Kilda defender suffering three fractures to his jaw in the high-speed collision with Adelaide’s David Mackay.
The medical report supplied to the AFL in the aftermath of Saturday night’s incident underplayed the damage, given a third fracture was discovered.
Clark also sustained nerve damage and dental damage in the hit, which the Saints say will keep him sidelined for 6-8 weeks, but possibly the rest of the season.
The extent of Clark’s injuries will play a major part in Mackay’s Thursday night tribunal case, which has split the football world.
Clark was initially sent directly to the tribunal by match review officer Michael Christian without a charge attached.
The AFL later released a statement, which read: “Tribunal counsel (instructed by the AFL), will allege that player Mackay carelessly engaged in rough conduct that was unreasonable in the circumstances in contravention of AFL Tribunal Guideline 4.4(E) which proscribes any conduct which is unreasonable in the circumstances.
“As such, the AFL will argue that, regardless of whether player Mackay was (1) contesting the ball, (2) bumping player Clark or (3) both, he still contravened the general prohibition on unreasonable conduct (including in contesting the ball).”