'Finals could be over': Pies star's 'two extremes' for huge hit as Dee ...

Collingwood star Brayden Maynard faces a nervous wait from the MRO for a collision that knocked out Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw amid drama filled-scenes early in Thursday night’s Qualifying Final.

Early in the first quarter of the MCG showdown, Maynard launched at Brayshaw in an attempt to spoil during a centre clearance, and while landing, made contact with the Demons midfielder’s head, prompting an all-in brawl from both sides.

Brayshaw was laid out cold on the turf for several minutes and was eventually stretchered off the ground before being subbed out of the contest for Bailey Laurie in a brutal setback to the Demons.

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“He was met solidly after he got rid of it, I think he’s had some damage done here and he may have been knocked out Brayshaw, he has not moved. That was a very very heavy knock and it’s going to start a bit of bish bash!” Channel 7 caller Brian Taylor said immediately afterwards.

Brayshaw could now be sidelined for at least 12 days under the league’s concussion protocols, meaning he’d need Melbourne to defeat Collingwood to ensure he doesn’t miss any action.

Maynard meanwhile faces the possibility of missing either a semi-final or preliminary final or even his season being over – pending the outcome of Thursday night’s game and how the MRO assesses the act – with injured superstar Nick Daicos waiting in the wings to return.

The Magpies defender was loudly booed by Melbourne fans whenever he got the ball thereafter and when he came off the ground to the interchange.

Richmond great Matthew Richardson noted how it was a tricky incident to assess given Maynard was attempting to smother the ball in what he described as a football act.

“He jumped in the air to try and smother the ball, so it’s really hard for him to stop … he can’t, it’s a real tough one,” Richardson said on Channel 7.

“What else can he do? He’s heard the boos and probably realised Brayshaw is hurt and we’re thinking about him, but it’s hard to know what else he can do there.”

Geelong skipper Patrick Dangerfield strongly concurred, arguing Maynard shouldn’t have any case to answer for.

“Maynard plays on the edge, but in my view, there is nothing in this. You have a duty of care to yourself to protect yourself as you come to land,” Dangerfield told Channel 7.

“Unfortunately in this game, there’s contact that occurs.

“He’s in the air for half a second … I know so much of what we’ve done around the rules have been what the outcome is, but I see this differently because he’s up for so long.”

Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph thinks there’s “no middle ground” for how the incident could be assessed, declaring it’s either a lengthy suspension or nothing at all.

“It’s assessed either as a severe impact rough conduct charge – and that would be three-plus weeks and Brayden Maynard’s season would be over – or it’s assessed as a football accident. I think it’s more likely to be the latter,” Ralph told Fox Footy at half-time.

“He is entitled to protect himself on the way down after jumping to smother. He’s entitled to jump in the air, he turns his shoulder.

“But I think (MRO) Michael Christian would say: ‘What else is he supposed to do? Is he trying to knock out Brayshaw or is he trying to protect himself there?’

“It’s so lineball, but from an AFL perspective, the damage to Brayshaw will not be considered until it’s seen to be a reportable act.”

Fox Footy pundits also suggested Maynard didn’t have any other options than to attack the contest as he did, with dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna saying he shouldn’t have anything to worry about from the MRO.

Kangaroos legend David King told Fox Footy: “I’m not sure what more Maynard can do. He’s going at the ball, he’s trying to smother and then he just braces for contact.

“He doesn’t try and use the elbow at all, he doesn’t use a forearm. I just think this is a football action and unfortunately he’s caught him (Brayshaw) in the wrong spot and he’s out for the day.”

Four-time premiership winning Hawk Jason Dunstall added: “It’s a genuine attempted smother. Once he’s in the air, he can’t disappear, he can’t change position and it didn’t look like a massive hit per se.

“But unfortunately it look it’s going to result in Brayshaw not taking any further part. We hope he’s OK, but can you punish a player for jumping up in the air trying to spoil given what happened at the back-end of it?”

It wasn’t the only incident set to be looked at by the MRO, with Jacob van Royen in the first quarter collecting Dan McStay, who went down into the rooms for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA).

McStay would return to the game in the second term though to potentially help van Royen’s case.