ADELAIDE and Geelong have significant injury concerns following their bruising round 17 wins, adding to the intrigue ahead of Friday night's top-of-the-table clash at Adelaide Oval.

Crows midfielder Rory Sloane was left severely dazed after his head crashed into the turf in a heavy tackle from Melbourne forward Dean Kent in the third quarter. 

Sloane briefly lost consciousness and took some convincing to leave the field, even defying the medical team's instructions to be taken off on a stretcher. 

The 27-year-old slowly regained his bearings and jogged off after a quick word from captain Taylor Walker and forward Eddie Betts. 

The star ball-winner did not return following his concussion assessment in the rooms. 

Defender Jake Lever's game also ended prematurely against the Demons after experiencing a hamstring issue. 

The 21-year-old was icing his left hamstring early in the final quarter and also had ice applied to his other leg for an apparent corked quad. 

Adelaide coach Don Pyke said Sloane and Lever would be assessed this week before a decision is made on their availability. 

For Geelong, superstar Patrick Dangerfield suffered a lower left leg injury in the first quarter against Hawthorn. 

The 27-year-old went to kick the ball but his foot made contact with Hawthorn captain Jarryd Roughead, who attempted to smother the Cat's effort. 

Dangerfield was in pain as he limped to the rooms with the help of trainers, but returned to play through the discomfort.

The former Crow received further treatment in the rooms at quarter-time and played exclusively as a forward because the injury hindered his ability to perform through the midfield. 

Dangerfield's limp seemed to improve as the match went on. 

Cats pair Scott Selwood (hamstring tightness) and Andrew Mackie (wrist) were late withdrawals against the Hawks. 

Western Bulldogs forward Jake Stringer limped off with a left hamstring injury early in the second quarter against Carlton. 

The 23-year-old reached for his leg while the ball was deep in the Bulldogs' forward pocket, forcing him to sit out the rest of the game with ice wrapped around the injury. 

Stringer will have scans to determine the extent of the damage.

Melbourne's bad injury run continued when Dean Kent dislocated his left shoulder just before three-quarter time against Adelaide. 

The 23-year-old's arm was outstretched as he was brought to ground in a tackle from Crows half-forward Riley Knight. 

Kent was in obvious discomfort as he watched the remainder of the game from a glass enclosure in the rooms with his arm in a sling. 

Greater Western Sydney midfielder Matt de Boer was bleeding from his right ear after receiving an accidental elbow from Sydney's Nic Newman, who was attempting to handball out of the tackle.

The 27-year-old former Docker walked off looking groggy and received medical attention to stem the bleeding in his ear, taking no further part in the game due to concussion. 

Compounding matters, Giants forward Jeremy Cameron was a late out against Sydney with a hamstring problem. 

Gold Coast was reduced to two men on the bench for the entire second half against Collingwood following injuries to co-captain Steven May and midfielder Jarryd Lyons.

May hurt his right hamstring when he used his closing speed to spoil the ball over the boundary line halfway through the first quarter. 

The 25-year-old, who missed two games with a left hamstring injury suffered in round four, came off the ground and spent the rest of the game icing the injury. 

Just minutes earlier, Lyons twisted his left ankle as he tackled and stood on the boot of Magpies midfielder Daniel Wells.

Lyons received treatment and returned with a pronounced limp, but was clearly restricted.

The 24-year-old left the ground for good just minutes before half-time after his leg collapsed under him following a kick inside 50. 

Suns coach Rodney Eade said May would miss at least a fortnight and described Lyons' setback as "bone bruising", with confirmation to be known following scans.

St Kilda defender Sam Gilbert will miss about a month after having surgery to mend the compound (or open) dislocation of his right hand suffered against Essendon.

The 30-year-old knew he was in trouble when Bomber Craig Bird made contact with his hand during a contest in the last quarter.

Gilbert, who is out of contract at the end of the season, signalled to the bench and did not return after receiving medical attention.

In other injury concerns in round 17: 

- Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury had scans on Sunday on the right hand he injured against Gold Coast. The 29-year-old received treatment at the interchange area late in the third quarter and finished the game with his hand taped. 

- Fremantle midfielder Stephen Hill dislocated his already strapped left shoulder early in the last quarter in a tussle with West Coast forward Mark LeCras and returned after having it popped back into place. Hill will be assessed further this week. 

- Carlton trio Dylan Buckley (tight hamstring), Alex Silvagni (left knee knock) and Ciaran Byrne (tight groin) finished the game against the Western Bulldogs on the bench. Silvagni was returning from a left knee injury he sustained against Greater Western Sydney in round 12, while Byrne was playing his first senior game of 2017 in a year marred by a ruptured ACL in his right knee.

- North Melbourne youngsters Mitchell Hibberd (shoulder) and Corey Wagner (ankle) had their games against Port Adelaide cut short. Kangaroos coach Brad Scott was unsure about the extent of the injuries, saying "the medical staff didn't want to take any further risk" with the pair. 

- Port Adelaide ruckman Patrick Ryder sprained his right ankle in the third quarter when North Melbourne forward Lindsay Thomas fell across his lower leg in a marking contest. Ryder left the ground and returned, but finished the game early with his ankle strapped in ice. Power coach Ken Hinkley said Ryder was "fine" and added the issue was "nothing you would think would be a problem with next week". 

- Richmond ruckman Ivan Soldo needed medical attention in the second half against the Brisbane Lions for a bloody nose.

- Carlton veteran Dale Thomas was a late out against the Western Bulldogs with a soleus strain. "(I'm) not sure if he'll be right for next week," Blues coach Brendon Bolton said post-match. 

- Sydney forward Gary Rohan appeared to have injured his right hamstring just before three-quarter time against Greater Western Sydney, but he returned in the final term after getting treatment. Fellow forward Sam Reid struggled with a tight groin. 

- Hawthorn forward James Sicily hobbled off the ground in the third term against Geelong after twisting his left ankle in a marking contest. The 22-year-old shook off the concern and returned later in the quarter.

- Hawthorn veteran Shaun Burgoyne received treatment on his already strapped right thumb/wrist late in the first quarter against Geelong, but played out the match. 

- Geelong midfielder Cam Guthrie went to the rooms just before half-time for a concussion test. He returned at about the midway point of the third quarter, only to receive a stray boot to the face from Hawk Luke Hodge early in the last term. Guthrie had a spell on the bench following that second incident and played on.

- North Melbourne captain Jack Ziebell had his left foot assessed on the bench during the third quarter against Port Adelaide after his leg got caught under a Patrick Ryder tackle. Ziebell had his foot re-taped and came back on. 

- North Melbourne forward Shaun Higgins had a concussion test at half-time after running into the shoulder of Port Adelaide midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper in a tackle. Higgins was cleared and returned.