THE WESTERN Bulldogs will on Monday find out the severity of Jake Stringer's knee injury, but remain confident the star forward has avoided the dreaded anterior cruciate ligament tear.

However, the news does not look good for Bulldogs midfielder Josh Dunkley, who is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a dislocated left shoulder.

Stringer suffered a right knee injury in a tackle by Richmond midfielder Brandon Ellis midway through the third quarter.

The 23-year-old, who had scans on Sunday morning, immediately clutched his knee after being brought to ground in the tackle, but was able to stand up and walk straight into the rooms for assessment.

Although Stringer re-emerged after about five minutes with no strapping on his knee, the talented goalkicker was unable to come back on in the final quarter.

Dunkley, meanwhile, grimaced with the pain of a dislocated shoulder early in the final quarter that ended his night.

The 20-year-old was locked in a contest with Ellis when his arm outstretched trying to tackle Tigers skipper Trent Cotchin in what seemed a fairly innocuous incident.

The medicos were able to pop Dunkley's left shoulder back into place in the rooms soon after the incident.

In his return from a fractured jaw, Hawthorn defender Grant Birchall injured his right knee after receiving a knock in a first-quarter marking contest against Melbourne.

The 29-year-old emerged from the rooms at the start of the second term with his knee strapped, only for it to be removed and replaced with ice for the rest of the match.

"We'd imagine he's going to miss (next week). It could be six weeks or it could be zero, but I'd reckon it's more likely to be one or two (weeks) at this point," Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson said after the match.

Birchall suffered a jaw injury against Adelaide in round two and missed the next month.

Jaeger O'Meara was withdrawn before the match with knee soreness from the knock he suffered in round two.

The former Sun could miss several weeks with the club set to wait until he has a solid block of conditioning before he returns to the side.

Richmond utility Nick Vlastuin landed heavily on his right shoulder after being crunched in a tackle by Western Bulldog Matt Suckling early in the second quarter.

The 23-year-old became sandwiched between the ground and his opponent as he landed.

Vlastuin went straight to the rooms and held his arm as if it were in a sling, emerging in a tracksuit top and sitting out the rest of the game.

Greater Western Sydney's initial fears were confirmed, with defender Adam Kennedy rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee against St Kilda.

The 24-year-old was in immediate pain as his knee buckled inward in a defensive marking contest midway through the first quarter, forcing him from the field and abruptly ending his game.

The medicos carried out stability tests on Kennedy's knee at the interchange area for about 10 minutes, before further assessing the 83-gamer in the rooms.

Kennedy emerged after half-time on crutches and wearing a compression bandage.

In a further blow, Giants midfielder Jacob Hopper will have surgery to repair a broken finger he suffered in the second quarter against the Saints.

The 20-year-old managed to return and see out the game after performing handball drills at the interchange area.

GWS will provide an accurate timeframe for Hopper's return following surgery.

The injuries are a further setback for the Giants and cap a terrible month, following a season-ending ACL injury to defender Matt Buntine and a serious hamstring tendon tear to fellow backman Nick Haynes.

North Melbourne youngster Corey Wagner hurt his right ankle after running into Crow Daniel Talia's elbow early in the first quarter.

The 20-year-old received medical attention and had ice applied to his injured ankle for the rest of the match.

In other injury concerns in round seven:

- Gold Coast midfielder Gary Ablett had a right shoulder scare just before half-time in a tackle from Geelong's Patrick Dangerfield. Ablett put his arm out to brace against the fall, but the impact put pressure on his shoulder. The 32-year-old received medical attention, but came back on and finished the game.

- Geelong captain Joel Selwood limped to the rooms in the third quarter against Gold Coast with an apparent ankle issue, but returned soon after.

- North Melbourne forward Ben Brown hurt his left shoulder in a collision with teammate Jack Ziebell in the first quarter against Adelaide. The pair ran into each other in a marking contest as Brown reached to take a mark. He had the injury assessed and returned in the second term with his left shoulder strapped.

- Adelaide forward Tom Lynch was left dazed after having his head driven into the ground in a tackle from North Melbourne's Jarrad Waite just before half-time. Lynch did not return in the second half due to concussion.

- Brisbane Lions midfielder Mitch Robinson hurt his right ankle in the first term against Sydney. The 27-year-old returned but was clearly hampered, finishing the game with ice on his foot.

- GWS defender Nathan Wilson came off the ground in the second quarter against St Kilda after being slung in a Koby Stevens tackle and hitting his head on the turf. Wilson passed a concussion test and started the second half on the ground.

- St Kilda forward Nick Riewoldt appeared to be carrying a knee niggle against GWS, which limited his impact on the game. The 34-year-old, who hyperextended his right knee in round one against Melbourne, entered the match with the same knee heavily strapped.

- Port Adelaide ruckman Paddy Ryder tweaked his right ankle at a centre bounce ruck contest early in the second quarter against West Coast, but came back on soon after having his ankle taped.

- West Coast midfielder Dom Sheed needed treatment for a cut he received to his forehead from an accidental Darcy Byrne-Jones knee in the first quarter against Port Adelaide. Sheed returned with a bandaged head.

- Collingwood big man Mason Cox received treatment for an ankle concern in the second quarter against Carlton, but played out the match.