Melbourne's Harrison Petty has been cleared of any concussion following a concerning incident in Round 6 against Brisbane, with coach Steven King saying it "was more a vestibular migraine".
Mystery has clouded Petty's injury after he turned over a kick-in during the clash. He immediately crouched to the ground before suggesting to teammates he was dizzy, and was assisted from the ground by the Demons' medical staff.
Melbourne underwent multiple tests, with King providing a positive update.
"He's going well, he's had a lot of tests done, and I think at this stage we've ruled out concussion even though we've put him in the protocols to look after his welfare," King said.
"We're still waiting one more test to come back.
"We went through a lot of external consultants, got numerous tests done, and at this stage it looks some type of migraine – which is great news.
"He's still in the protocols, but we're really bullish on him getting through. If he gets through protocols this week, he'll be in a really good place to potentially play.
"We just want to make sure he gets through and ticks off the boxes he needs to, so that's a great result for Harrison and for us."
King indicated that the vestibular migraine - a neurological condition causing recurrent vertigo, dizziness, or imbalance, often without a headache - was the reason behind Petty
"Remarkably, he was actually pretty good after the game, which sort of told us it might not be as simple as concussion,” King said.
"Our doctors do a great job with our players, so we just want to make sure every box was ticked.
"He has had a lot of tests, as I said, we're still waiting on one to come back. He's had a history of a couple of concussions, so we want to make sure we're ultra-cautious with him.
"This was more a vestibular migraine – I am not sure if that's the word, I am not a medical expert, so I can't give too much opinion on it, but it's not linked at all.
"It was probably the best scenario for us and outcome we could've hoped for, really."
Petty, pending he passes all required tests, could return to play this week, as Melbourne prepares for a trip to Sydney to face the Swans.
Jake Bowey is also in line to bolster the Demons' defence after successfully rehabbing a foot injury.
Bowey returned via the VFL, collecting 15 touches in a half of football.
"If he gets through and feels really confident, he's someone with the type of class that will come straight back in."
