{"id":25271,"date":"2026-06-05T06:06:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T06:06:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/25271\/"},"modified":"2026-06-05T06:06:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T06:06:01","slug":"matthew-nicks-defends-medical-staff-after-toby-murray-and-hugo-hall-kahan-play-out-crows-win-following-head-clash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/25271\/","title":{"rendered":"Matthew Nicks defends medical staff after Toby Murray and Hugo Hall-Kahan play out Crows win following head clash"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks is optimistic his side’s tough victory over Geelong won’t be soured by a significant injury toll and match review findings.<\/p>\n

Callum Ah Chee (hamstring) and Jordon Butts (calf) both failed to finish Thursday night’s gripping contest, which the Crows won 11.9 (75) to 10.14 (74).<\/p>\n

Toby Murray and debutant Hugo Hall-Kahan were involved in a sickening head clash, while Taylor Walker faces scrutiny after shoving an opponent into a marking contest.<\/p>\n

“It’s disappointing that we’ve lost those guys but also really pleasing that we were able to hang in there and just fight it out towards the end,” Nicks said.<\/p>\n

“Ah Chee’s a hamstring, Jordon Butts is a calf, but we don’t know to what extent. We hope they’re minor.”<\/p>\n

Ah Chee (11 touches, one goal) did a brilliant job blunting Geelong star Tom Stewart for three quarters, but finished in a familiar position on the bench with ice on his right hamstring.<\/p>\n

It is the two-time Brisbane premiership player’s fourth hamstring injury since crossing to the Crows.<\/p>\n

“It’s really tough for him. The first thing he says about it is he doesn’t want to let the group down, because that’s the sort of person he is,” Nicks said.<\/p>\n

\"Callum<\/p>\n

Callum Ah Chee kicked a crucial goal in the third quarter to put Adelaide on top before coming off the ground with a hamstring injury. (Getty Images: Sarah Reed)<\/p>\n

“But it’s an interesting one because he’s had such a long career at a club and every club trains differently \u2026 so we’ll just keep looking at whether there’s challenges in what we do here compared to what he’s done for such a long time.<\/p>\n

“We’re really confident we’ll get that right and he’s going to be super important for the latter part of this year.”<\/p>\n

Murray and Hall-Kahan collided in the final quarter, temporarily reducing the Crows to one fit man on the bench.<\/p>\n

But neither player had to sit out for a concussion test and both returned to play out the match.<\/p>\n

“(We have) complete trust in our medical group about how they do that and we don’t take any risk in that space,” Nicks said.<\/p>\n

“Player welfare is first and foremost with that.<\/p>\n

“I’m led to believe it’s more of just a gash across the nose for Hugo, which just adds a little bit more to his game.”<\/p>\n

Walker pushed Geelong defender Connor O’Sullivan into Crows skipper Jordan Dawson in a marking contest \u2014 an action the AFL has cracked down on in recent times.<\/p>\n

\"Patrick<\/p>\n

Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield finishes with a season-high 30 disposals and seven clearances in the loss.\u00a0 (Getty Images: Sarah Reed)<\/p>\n

“We had a brief look but we didn’t go back and watch it. I’m hoping there wasn’t much in it,” Nicks said.<\/p>\n

“I probably can’t comment on it too much. I haven’t had a good enough look.”<\/p>\n

In the television broadcasts, former AFL stars Nick Riewoldt and David King said they felt Walker would be in trouble.<\/p>\n

“It’s an absolute no-no, pushing players,” King said.<\/p>\n

ABC Sport Daily podcast<\/a><\/p>\n

ABC Sport Daily is your daily sports conversation. We dive into the biggest story of the day and get you up to speed with everything else that’s making headlines.<\/p>\n

“You’re not allowed to push players into the traffic like that. He’s in some bother.<\/p>\n

“Not a lot in it but you don’t have to do a lot in that instance.”<\/p>\n

Walker kicked two crucial goals on his AFL return, while Dawson shook off a sore hip from the collision and inspired his side with three majors from 22 disposals.<\/p>\n

Adelaide’s win was their first against Geelong after six consecutive defeats, lifting them into sixth spot with a 7-5 record ahead of a meeting with the Western Bulldogs next week.<\/p>\n

It was also the Crows’ third one-point victory this season, and seventh game decided by a single-figure margin.<\/p>\n

“The boys executed under immense pressure and I’m incredibly proud of the way they went about it,” Nicks said.<\/p>\n

“They deserve the result.”<\/p>\n

AAP<\/p>\n

Follow the live blog below for a recap of all the action as it happened.<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 6:27pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 6:27pm<\/p>\n

AFL Thursday scoreboard\"AndrewThu 4 Jun 2026 at 11:27pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 11:27pm<\/p>\n

Wrapping things up for tonight!\"Chris<\/p>\n

That’s where we’re going to leave things for tonight’s coverage.<\/p>\n

Thank you for spending your evening with us once again.<\/p>\n

I’ll be back tomorrow night for live coverage of Hawthorn’s clash with the Western Bulldogs, which is sure to be another belter.<\/p>\n

Catch you all then!<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 11:21pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 11:21pm<\/p>\n

Nicks praises ‘warrior’ Dawson after win\"Chris<\/p>\n

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks is incredibly proud of his side after tonight’s win, namely his skipper Jordan Dawson.<\/p>\n

“He’s a warrior. Incredibly just kept going,” he says.<\/p>\n

“We had a brief chat at three-quarter time and he said, ‘Give me five [minutes in the midfield]’.<\/p>\n

“You need certain players like that in the right spots to get across the line.<\/p>\n

“I think we’ll take a hell of a lot of belief from this because of the way we went about it.<\/p>\n

“We love the direction we’re heading in and we love what we’re building here.”<\/p>\n

Nicks confirms that Callum Ah Chee suffered a hamstring injury, while Jordon Butts missed the final stages due to a calf issue.<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 11:03pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 11:03pm<\/p>\n

Scott denies exchanging words with fans\"Chris<\/p>\n

Geelong coach Chris Scott says he didn’t have any words with fans while walking onto the ground at the three-quarter time break.<\/p>\n

“I didn’t have any words with any fans,” he says during his press conference.<\/p>\n

“Of course they [the fans] did [have words], they’re nuffies, that’s OK.<\/p>\n

“This is one of the best stadiums in the world, I love it [but] it’s an oversight that coaches should have to walk through the crowd.<\/p>\n

“I don’t want to do it at any ground.”<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:39pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:39pm<\/p>\n

Dawson breaks down after thrilling win\"Chris<\/p>\n

Jordan Dawson \ud83d\ude22<\/p>\n

– Melza<\/p>\n

What a leader Jordan Dawson has been this season amid a great deal of personal heartache.<\/p>\n

Emotional scenes from the Adelaide skipper after the final siren.<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:38pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:38pm<\/p>\n

Hall-Kahan is going to be sore in the morning\"Chris<\/p>\n

How good is Tex mouthing the words of The Pride of South Australia to the new lad who\u2019s barely a week at the club? While we\u2019re at it, not sure that all that Gatorade to a smashed-up face would have tickled for Hall-Kahan. <\/p>\n

– Alan<\/p>\n

I’m always in awe at just how tough these players are.<\/p>\n

If I’d had a head-clash like Hugo did, you wouldn’t see me on these blogs for the rest of the calendar year.<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:37pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:37pm<\/p>\n

A look back at the last two minutes from a thriller\"ChrisThu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:37pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:37pm<\/p>\n

The final numbers from the Adelaide Oval\"Chris<\/p>\n

Here’s a look at the team stats after Adelaide’s one-point win over Geelong.<\/p>\n

Geelong: 389-365Inside 50s: Geelong 52-50Clearances: Geelong 46-45Centre Clearances: Geelong 16-8Contested Possessions: Geelong 170-153Marks: Geelong 71-59Marks Inside 50: Adelaide 7-5Tackles: Adelaide 86-58Tackles in Forward 50: Adelaide 22-8One Percenters: Adelaide 59-51<\/p>\n

Here are the three top-rated players on the ground in terms of AFL ranking points.<\/p>\n

Sam De Koning (GEEL): 25 disposals, 16 hitouts, 10 clearances, four tackles, two score involvementsJordan Dawson (ADEL): 22 disposals, nine tackles, seven marks, six score involvements, five intercepts, three goalsDan Curtin (ADEL): 26 disposals, seven intercepts, five marks, five clearances, four score involvements,\u00a0Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:23pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:23pm<\/p>\n

Hall-Kahan speaks after his heroics on debut\"ChrisThu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:21pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:21pm<\/p>\n

Mike, I swear you’re cursing me at this point\"Chris<\/p>\n

Not the outcome I hoped for but what a game – another De Silva–esque finish! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

– Mike<\/p>\n

For those not following, every time Mike comments saying we’re in for a close finish while I’m on, it invariably ends up being a nailbiter.<\/p>\n

LoadingThu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:14pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:14pm<\/p>\n

FT: Adelaide 11.9 (75) defeats Geelong 10.14 (74)\"Chris\"AdelaideAdelaide captain Jordan Dawson kicked three goals as his side claimed a one-point win over Geelong at the Adelaide Oval. (Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Unbelievable scenes at the final siren as Geelong presses forward one last time with five seconds remaining but the siren beats Tom Stewart!<\/p>\n

One last lasso call allowed Bailey Smith to send the ball forward and if there were another 20 seconds remaining, the Cats might have stolen this one.<\/p>\n

What a massive win that is for Adelaide. They end a five-year drought against Geelong in the most excruciating way possible.<\/p>\n

Adelaide skipper Jordan Dawson says his side needs to work on closing out games better after almost blowing another one, but my goodness that will feel good for the Crows.<\/p>\n

Dawson was absolutely sensational tonight. He finishes with 22 disposals and three goals.<\/p>\n

Dan Curtin with arguably his best game of AFL football, finishing with 26 disposals, while Taylor Walker kicked two goals.<\/p>\n

There was an incredible bit of drama late as Darcy Fogarty’s go-ahead goal was chalked off by the ARC, but in the end that behind proved to be the match-winner in the end.<\/p>\n

Bailey Smith finishes the match with a game-high 34 disposals, while Cats skipper Patrick Dangerfield was also outstanding with 30 disposals, seven clearances and a goal.<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:13pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:13pm<\/p>\n

Curtin takes a massive intercept mark!\"Chris<\/p>\n

Dan Curtin takes what could be a match-winning grab as Max Holmes looked to go frward!<\/p>\n

Adelaide with possession with 23 seconds remaining.<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:13pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:13pm<\/p>\n

One minute to go\"Chris<\/p>\n

Adelaide has a ball-up 47m out from goal.<\/p>\n

Josh Rachele got in the way of Jordan Dawson there on a marking attempt.<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:12pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:12pm<\/p>\n

Hall-Kahan wins a free kick with a huge tackle!\"Chris<\/p>\n

The debutant!<\/p>\n

Mark Blicavs tries to evade Hugo Hall-Kahan, but gets trapped 40m out from goal.<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:11pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:11pm<\/p>\n

Into the final two minutes\"Chris<\/p>\n

Geelong has a throw-in around 45m out from goal.<\/p>\n

Pressure on Adelaide’s defence here.<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:10pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:10pm<\/p>\n

Three minutes to go in Adelaide\"Chris<\/p>\n

Crows holding on for dear life right now as Patrick Dangerfield gives away a pair of free kicks in quick succession.<\/p>\n

Still enough time for Geelong though with the margin just one point.<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:08pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:08pm<\/p>\n

Score review denies Fogarty!\"Chris<\/p>\n

Oh my goodness, everyone’s favourite thing!<\/p>\n

Play is held up and the umpires call for a score review and the ARC has determined that Fogarty’s shot has scraped the goalpost!<\/p>\n

What drama!<\/p>\n

Adelaide’s lead back down to just one-point. Geelong kick-in instead.<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:07pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:07pm<\/p>\n

Fogarty goals to put Adelaide back in front!\"Chris<\/p>\n

Darcy Fogarty drills a huge set shot from right on the 50m arc to restore Adelaide’s six-point lead.<\/p>\n

That is a hell of a kick from that range in these circumstances and conditions.<\/p>\n

Adelaide couldn’t have had the ball in safer hands, maybe Walker’s.<\/p>\n

Centre bounce incoming. Crows by six with 3:50 left on the clock.<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:05pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:05pm<\/p>\n

Bowes levels the scores with another one!\"Chris<\/p>\n

WE ARE ALL KNOTTED UP AT THE ADELAIDE OVAL!<\/p>\n

Geelong once again locks the ball in their forward half after a kick-in and Jack Bowes receives a handball from Tom Atkins and drills it on the run.<\/p>\n

Scores level with 4:51 left on the clock. Hall-Kahan back on the ground.<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:04pm<\/p>\n

Thu 4 Jun 2026 at 10:04pm<\/p>\n

Henry misses an easy shot on the run\"Chris<\/p>\n

Geelong breaks through after a kick-in and Ollie Henry is all by himself.<\/p>\n

He takes a mark right on the 50m arc and then runs to within striking distance, but misses to the left.<\/p>\n

Margin six points with 5:12 left on the clock.<\/p>\n

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