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Blues, Crows, Lions to get concussion 'please explains'

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The AFL will give Carlton, the Brisbane Lions and Adelaide an opportunity to explain their handling of player head knocks before considering any potential sanctions.

The league will also continue to discuss whether to introduce independent AFL doctors at games.

Carlton received a "please explain" regarding their management of star forward Harry McKay after a head knock.

Brisbane and Adelaide have also been asked to explain their handling of the league's concussion protocols after incidents involving Lions co-captain Harris Andrews and Crows skipper Jordan Dawson respectively.

"The AFL confirms that it will issue please explain letters to Adelaide in relation to Jordan Dawson on Friday night, Brisbane in relation to Harris Andrews on Sunday afternoon and Carlton in relation to Harry McKay on Sunday evening and the management of their respective concussion management protocols," a league spokesperson said on Monday.

McKay took a hit to the face in a marking contest with North Melbourne player Eddie Ford on Sunday, which left the Blues goal-kicker groggy.

The 26-year-old was slow to get to his feet but continued playing, kicking a major before being called off the field for a head injury assessment.

He passed the test and returned to the action, adding a second goal late in the match to seal Carlton's important 19-point victory at Marvel Stadium.

Carlton coach Michael Voss defended the club's handling of McKay, who had also told Fox Footy post-match he was "fine".

A Blues spokesperson on Monday confirmed McKay has since passed further tests and is set to back up against Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.

Dawson copped a high knock from Essendon's Nate Caddy in the third quarter of Friday night's thriller, also at Marvel Stadium.

He was dazed and was checked by medicos but didn't leave the field for a concussion assessment at the time.

Dawson left the field in the fourth quarter and was later placed in concussion protocols.

Andrews came off the field in the fourth quarter of Brisbane's win over Sydney after a knock late in the third term.

AFL general manager of football operations Josh Mahoney indicated the league would talk through the situations with the respective clubs.

"It's just questioning," Mahoney told the AFL website.

"We've got these protocols in place for a reason and we're just asking the questions about the scenario around what happened.

"And then when we get that information we'll make an assessment."

When asked if there could potentially be sanctions down the track, Mahoney said: "Yeah, we just give all these clubs an opportunity to talk through what has happened and then we'll make a decision off the back of that."

Mahoney made a point of hailing the quality of AFL club doctors.

"Every club's got two doctors there. We understand they're very busy, there's a lot going on in games and they're always the patient first, and in this case, player-led in decision-making," he said.

"But we're all about the process and that's just all the questions we'll be asking, about process."

Given in McKay's situation, Carlton's doctors were dealing with multiple injured players at once, the prospect of AFL-employed independent doctors has again been floated.

"It has come up and it is something we may look at," Mahoney said.

"You can see that there's lots of things that go on in a game. When you have two doctors, sometimes there's one doctor downstairs attending a player and other things.

"So it is a conversation we want to keep having."