“Ultimately, there was no clinical indication of concussion that warranted further investigation and testing, thus the club doctors allowing both players to return to the field.

“The AFL is satisfied that the club complied with the AFL’s concussion guidelines in the management of the players.”

Power were on the front foot on Friday to make clear there had been no pressure from the coaches for the players to return to the field with the game on the line.

Hinkley and his coaching panel had discussed tactics on how to slow down play to minimise the disadvantage of possibly being another two men down should either or both players be ruled out with concussion. Jonas required about 11-12 stitches for the cut but said on Friday he was otherwise fine.

“Certainly was one of those ones where you touch the eye-socket and expect to feel some pain but there was nothing there, so I was pretty relieved about that,” Jonas said on Triple M.

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“I didn’t lose all my faculties so I was just keen to get back out there and hopefully get us over the line, unfortunately that wasn’t the case.

“So they basically ask where you are, what’s your name, birthday, significant other, what’s your phone number, all those sort of things.

“So they get rattled off and in terms of last night there was absolutely no pressure from the box to get either of us back on.

“Particularly in my role as a Players’ Association board member and delegate I appreciate the serious and gravity of the concussion issue.

“So there was no pressure to go on and I wouldn’t have gone on if I felt like I was putting myself, the doctors, the club and the competition at risk with all the great work we have done in that area.

In a testy post-match press conference, Hinkley said Fisher, Port’s long-serving doctor, had cleared the players of concussion. After being off for several minutes, the pair returned to the field sporting bandages over their facial lacerations.

“I’ve got a doctor who has been with the footy club for 25 years and the conversation between our doctor and our football manager during the game was these boys have got no issue with concussion,” Hinkley said.

“So if anyone’s got a challenge on that and they feel more qualified than Mark Fisher, who is a 25-year AFL doctor, feel free but I think you want to be really, really sure that you’re not trying to umpire or make some calls from outside the fence when you have no knowledge.

“We’ve got a very experienced doctor who has the utmost respect in the AFL.”

Hinkley bristled at suggestions that concussion protocols would have been enacted if the incident had happened earlier in the game.

“Are you questioning the doctor or not? Because he made a decision that [concussion protocols] didn’t need to happen,” Hinkley said.

An unimpressed Hinkley became increasingly frustrated amid repeated questions about the issue.

“So you think a doctor of 25 years experience would take a risk with concussion with the seriousness of the injury that go on now with concussion,” Hinkley said. “Can we stop the questions?

“I’ve tried to answer it for you as well as I can. I get what you’re saying but I’m also saying back to you that I’ve got the most experienced doctor in the AFL making these decisions. Where do you want me to go? Where do you want him to go? Do you want him to go back to medical school? I don’t know.”

Hinkley said both Butters and Jonas were in good condition after the game despite being “bashed up”.

“I spoke to both boys in the rooms straight after the game,” Hinkley said. “They weren’t laying down, they weren’t fainting and they weren’t doing anything silly. They were talking to me really clearly. ‘I’m going to have a big black eye but I’m pretty good, everything is OK’.

“Both boys are tough players too, shouldn’t forget how tough they are because that’s a hit, for those who don’t think the game’s tough that’s a hit.”

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Richmond scored a goal while both players lay stricken on the field. Port had already activated the medi-sub after Trent Dumont injured his calf.

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick, a premiership player for Port in 2004, also defended Fisher.

“I don’t think there’s a sport in the world that looks after their players as well as AFL,” Hardwick said. “So from our point of view, I’ve known those doctors at Port Adelaide for many, many years.

“They’re like our guys, they’re all first-class, they’d never put a player at risk, no question. They make a quick assessment, that’s what they do, that’s what they’re paid to do and they put them back.”