Hawthorn forward Nick Watson is still baffled how he passed the concussion test after a heavy collision.

In the second quarter, Watson went back with the flight to contest a mark, albeit against oncoming traffic.

Adelaide defender Jordon Butts continued to clear the path ahead of him, which included the Hawks star, collecting him legally through his shoulder.

Watson's head bounced off the ground and was immediately sought after by the club's medicos before being taken down the race for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA), which he passed at half-time.

“Yeah I'm fine,” he said on Fox Footy.

“I bounced back up on my feet.

“The boys said I have a low bar in the concussion test anyway to pass – I don't know how I passed it! I struggle with it anyway even if I wasn't concussed.

“(We) had a bit of momentum, (I) was finally finding the footy – was pretty filthy I had to come off!

We (he and the team doctor) had a good laugh at the end of that. The test took about 10 minutes – I was filthy at that as well!

“Glad I passed it.”

However, queries over how long Watson remained on the field began, which was just under four minutes after the incident.

There's a suggestion that he should've been pulled immediately from the ground after the knock.

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell defended his medical team following the nine-point win.

“I have full faith in our medical team,” Mitchell said in his post-match press conference.

“Westy (team doctor Liam West) is probably on the … safer side of things. He went out to him straight away – he had to come off eventually – but he went out to him straight away and I've got full faith in our medical team.

“He passed the tests and all those things.”

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