DAMIEN Hardwick says Gold Coast captain Noah Anderson has a chest injury but did not suffer concussion following a fourth-quarter bump from Geelong's Tom Stewart.
Anderson was helped from the field late in Saturday's 24-point loss to the Cats, gingerly getting to his feet after a big hit from Stewart.
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In an incident sure to be looked at by Match Review Officer Michael Christian, Hardwick said Anderson had not suffered concussion.
"He's gone for scans on his chest, just precautionary," Hardwick said.
"We think he's OK.
"Our doctor cleared him, that wasn't an issue. I think the ARC sent him off to have a test, but the doctor cleared him of that. It's just his chest."
Hardwick had no issue with Stewart's attack on the contest, saying accidents happen and it wasn't for him to judge any penalties.
"Ideally, we'd love Noah to keep playing, but it is what it is. Within the rules, still allowed to bump," he said.
"It was a reasonable hit, a solid hit, big boy, Tom Stewart.
"I want to make very clear it was his chest, it wasn't head or anything like that, no concussion."
Geelong coach Chris Scott said Stewart's duty of care for Anderson was "as good as it could have been".
"The AFL has done a really good job over the years of shifting the zeitgeist around the way you should approach contests like that," Scott said.
"Anyone that understands the modern game would be really impressed with the way he approached that contact.
"If you're in a position where contact is unavoidable, you need to be very, very careful.
"Cues like ‘do everything you can to avoid head contact, don't leave the ground, turn your body to protect yourself'.
"If it's a protective action where contact is inevitable and you don't get them in the head, then you've done everything you can.
"I feel for Noah, everyone loves him, he's a gun player and it was pretty heavy contact to the ribs, but it was to the body.
"Stewie, I thought his duty of care tonight was as good as it could have been."
The incident came late in a polished performance by the Cats, where they held sway most of the night on the way to a 24-point win.
They did so without red-hot midfielder Bailey Smith, who was withdrawn an hour before the match with hamstring tightness.
Scott said he expected Smith to be available for next Saturday's match against Essendon.
"We're very, very confident that he'll be fine next week," he said.
"He had some lingering tightness post-game (against West Coast last Sunday).
"He got a cork late and had some hamstring tightness, awareness. We thought it was going to be OK.
"He had a fitness test a few hours before the game and didn't feel confident. In that situation, our tolerance for that situation with any player … is generally low."
Scott said Smith completed a "six to seven kilometre" training session in place of the game, which would indicate he'd be ready for next week.
The loss was Gold Coast's second on the trot and drops it to 8-4 ahead of its bye.
Hardwick said Geelong was cleaner and tougher around the contest, calling four-goal small forward Tyson Stengle the difference in the game.
"They're a top four side, we're short of them, so we've got some work to do," he said.
"We don't take any note in honourable losses, that's not us anymore. We've got to get better."
