Brodie Grundy laid the "perfect" tackle, was awarded a free kick and will likely be suspended for it.
That's the reality facing the Collingwood ruckman after North Melbourne's Ben Brown was concussed in the second quarter of the Pies' 16.15 (111) to 7.15 (57) win on Saturday night.
Brown was sent to hospital for observation after his head hit the Etihad Stadium turf in a tackle similar to the one that led to Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield being suspended last week.
The 24-year-old Brown took to social media on Sunday saying he was feeling good and resting at home, but it's unclear whether he'll be available for next week's game against Hawthorn.
On the back of the hotly-debated Dangerfield suspension, what constitutes a fair tackle in the AFL will be thrust back into the spotlight this week.
An emotional Grundy said he had no intention to hurt Brown, but AFL legend Leigh Matthews had no doubt it would lead to a suspension.
"The fact is if Dangerfield gets a week, Grundy has to get a week," he said on the Seven Network's AFL Game Day.
"It's the same - pinned the arms, head hits the ground - and I agree with that, to be honest.
"The big picture is trying to make the game safer, and I'm for that."
Magpies coach Nathan Buckley defended Grundy after the match but conceded there was a "massive grey area" around dangerous tackles.
"It was a perfect tackle ... I don't think there was any malice in the tackle," Buckley said.
"He was tackling to dispossess, tackling to get the free kick the way that the rules are written.
"What more do you do?
"(But) we understand the lay of the land and the way that precedent has gone in recent weeks."
North coach Brad Scott disagreed with Buckley's assessment of the tackle but agreed Grundy's intention was not to hurt his player.
"I don't think there was anything malicious in it ... it's just unfortunate that accidents happen," he said.
"We've got to try to make sure that we make the game as safe as possible while still understanding that's it's a really competitive, combative sport."
Grundy spoke to the Seven Network after the game saying he felt "terrible" about the incident.
"There was no malicious intent, that's not the player that I am," Grundy said.
"I felt pretty shaken up after it happened. It's terrible that he's gone to hospital so I'll definitely reach out to him."
