Ollie Florent knee to Isaac Heeney’s head, video, reaction, Sydney Swans v Carlton Blues, Opening Round, latest news

An incident involving an ex-teammate kneeing Isaac Heeney’s head has come under the microscope from the AFL’s season-opening clash.

Heeney during the second quarter of Thursday night’s game between Sydney and Carlton copped what appeared to be an accidental knee to his head from new Blue and former Swan Ollie Florent while the Sydney superstar was on the ground.

Florent was looking down when it happened but the ball was nearby, while it came after the ex-teammates clashed earlier among several more scuffles in the spicy Charlie Curnow grudge match at the SCG.

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Heeney was initially given the all-clear to keep playing before eventually going down to the rooms to be assessed for a concussion just before half-time.

The Swans superstar was cleared to return to the game in the second half.

It prompted conversation from Fox Footy pundits at the main break as to whether Florent could face any scrutiny for the big hit.

“You argue there’s a carelessness in his inability to try and step over,” Saints great Leigh Montagna said, noting the two players had “quite a heated moment” earlier.

“They were getting right into it. Whether there’s a little subconscious bias, that it was Florent being a little more reckless because of this incident earlier in the quarter,” he said.

“I’m not sure you can read too much into it.”

Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall suggested the contact was a sheer accident, despite some suggestions from the online footy public that it was intentional.

“Here’s my thought — he looks to make sure he doesn’t trot on him with the right leg, then he lifts the head to follow the footy,” Dunstall said.

“I think he thinks the left leg is going to go over the top of him. That’s the way I would interpret it, but some people are a little more sinister than that.”

Fox Footy’s Sarah Jones added: “I think it was an accident with an element of carelessness. If that was Patrick Cripps on the ground, does his head get knocked (by Florent)?”

To which Montagna responded: “He maybe takes a bit more care, (but) you’ve got to give the benefit of the doubt to Ollie Florent.”

Speaking post-match, Herald Sun journalist Jon Ralph said Florent shouldn’t have a case to answer for from the MRO.

“It split the footy public, I think it split the Fox Footy panel. (But) there’s no way Ollie Florent is going to get suspended for kneeing Heeney,” Ralph said.

“Kneeing is a classifiable offence, but even a concussion wouldn’t be a game changer.

“The injury is only considered if it’s a reportable offence. You consider ‘accidentally on purpose’. Who’s the king of that? Toby Greene.

“Greene was in the radio boxes tonight and he said it was a Shane Mumford special. Maybe it was a bit of that, but I just think it’s the eye test; (Florent) almost would’ve had to divert into the path of Heeney.”

Though not involved directly in the blockbuster Curnow deal like fellow ex-Swan Will Hayward, Florent was reluctantly traded to Carlton in the off-season as part of Sydney’s bold plans to secure the dual Coleman medallist.