Tom Stewart.

Tom Stewart.Credit:Getty Images

Cats champion Patrick Dangerfield was also reported for rough conduct after colliding with St Kilda’s Brad Crouch midway through the last quarter,with Scott saying the two players were laughing at the fact he’d been reported.

Scott,who has never been a fan of match-day reports,said it was the incident “where Brad[Crouch] got up and laughed about it” with St Kilda’s Zak Jones pushing Dangerfield into Crouch.

Key forward Tom Hawkins’ chase-down tackle on St Kilda’s Darragh Joyce is also certain to come under MRO scrutiny as Joyce left the field with concussion.

The 28-year-old Stewart has been in a moon boot since the injury occurred,with the club concerned he may have suffered a Lisfranc injury which often means a long lay-off and a careful recovery.

Stewart has been replaced in the team for Saturday’s game against St Kilda by Sam Simpson but his absence for the finals series would be a major blow for the Cats who are certain to finish in the top four again in 2021.

Advertisement

The Cats defender is one of the best intercept players in the game and has twice been an All-Australian,with Scott describing him as the team’s best player this season.

“That is a big loss but history is littered with examples of teams who have overcome adversity like that,” Scott said.

Meanwhile,Saints forward Max King re-aggravated his adductor in the first quarter after missing most of the second half because of the injury in round 21.

St Kilda coach Brett Ratten said King may miss the final round of the season while Joyce will also miss with concussion.

Ratten praised the progress the team had made in the second half of the season after the devastating loss to Adelaide in Cairns caused the club to embark on a soul-searching process.

However he said the fact they struggled to win a contest against Geelong after quarter-time was disappointing,particularly given a win would have kept them in the finals equation.

“I’m pretty flat,” Ratten said.

Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country.Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter

Most Viewed in Sport

Loading