'Never seen that': AFL set to investigate 'horrific' injury

Warning: The following contains graphic images some people might find disturbing

The AFL is set to investigate whether illegal studs were used after an incident involving Sydney's Sam Wicks and Collingwood's Isaac Quaynor left the Magpies player with a nasty gash in his leg.

Collingwood survived a massive scare brought about by their own woeful inaccuracy in front of goal and lost three key players to injuries in a tense nine-point win over Sydney at the Gabba on Thursday night.

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Will Hoskin-Elliott, Adam Treloar and Isaac Quaynor all failed to finish Thursday's match as the Magpies almost kicked themselves to a third straight defeat.

Brayden Maynard was treated for a shoulder complaint but returned to play a key role in defence as Nathan Buckley's men recorded an important 6.14 (50) to 6.5 (41) victory.

However, it was the sickening leg injury to Quaynor that dominated much of the post-match discussions.

Quaynor was taken off the field on a stretcher with a gash on his right shin late in the final term, after an incident involving Wicks.

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley suggested after the match that the Sydney player may have been wearing illegal metal studs, something the AFL probe will need to get to the bottom of.

The cut it left on Quaynor's leg was particularly gruesome, with viewers left squeamish after images began to emerge on social media.

Buckley said the cut measured about "six or eight inches" and may have been caused by Swans' debutant Wicks' studs during a tackle.

"His studs sort of raked across his shin and … the kid could have had metal studs in as well, so that was his bad luck, tackling the only kid who (potentially) had that," Buckley said.

"But that will be a couple of weeks (out).

"It'll depend on how you can clean the wound and heal that up. Will (Hoskin-Elliott) was studs and bone bruising in the knee and that was pretty much the first contest he was in."

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan confirmed on Friday that the legality of Wicks' studs were being investigated after admitting that umpires don't check boots before matches.

“It’s against AFL regulations clearly to have metal stops," McLachlan said on 3AW radio.

“I don’t know if he did or didn’t that’s being worked through. It’s against the rules to have metal stops, clubs and individuals need accountability.”

Sydney coach John Longmire defended his young charge after Buckley's post-match accusation, insisting Wicks was wearing "standard issue boots but had a combination of metal and plastic studs".

The AFL is set to investigate the incident, with Channel 7’s Tom Browne confirming Wicks' studs were standard Nike screw-ins which are in “in common use”.

Win comes after tumultuous period for Magpies

The positive result in Queensland came after a horror end to the Pies' time in Perth, where they lost games to West Coast and Fremantle and copped a hefty fine for coronavirus protocol breaches.

Hoskin-Elliott had his right knee accidentally stepped on and had the same leg caught under an opponent's body during the first quarter.

He has bone bruising and possible structural issues, with further tests to determine the full extent of the damage.

Treloar suffered a hamstring injury during the third quarter that is expected to sideline him for up to three weeks.

Collingwood dominated clearances (19-7) and forward 50m entries (32-11) in the first half but managed just 2.10 to the Swans' five straight goals and trailed by eight points at the main break.

The weight of numbers eventually told late in the match as the Magpies reclaimed the lead with three third-quarter goals and held sway in the final quarter.

"We largely were able to impose ourselves on the game and control the game for pretty much all of it," Buckley said.

"There was probably 10 minutes in that last quarter where the Swans were able to get the ball forward a little bit more often but we totally controlled that.

"We could've lost it in the end and it wouldn't have been the way the game was played, but we do need to finish and that will come."

Treloar starred with 25 disposals as Steele Sidebottom (17 touches) - in his second game back from suspension - again underlined his importance in the absence of injured captain Scott Pendlebury.

Taylor Adams (29 disposals) was another prime mover and tall forward Ben Reid was one of six individual goal kickers for the Pies in his first AFL game since last year's preliminary final.

James Rowbottom (17 disposals and seven clearances) was Sydney's best but the Swans had few winners in an undermanned midfield that was well beaten.

The result hung in the balance until Josh Daicos evoked memories of his mercurial father Peter and nailed a goal with a superb checkside kick near the boundary line in the final few minutes.

with AAP