• Around the state leagues: Who starred in your club's twos?
• After the siren: Watch your backs, the Swans are coming
• Eight things we learned from round nine

CARLTON defender Sam Rowe faces an anxious wait to find out the severity of the right knee injury he suffered in the first quarter against Fremantle.

The 29-year-old first hyperextended his knee when his leg came into contact with Nat Fyfe, as the Fremantle captain made a desperate attempt to smother the kick.

Rowe came off to have his right knee strapped, only to have the same leg buckle awkwardly underneath him without any physical contact shortly after returning to the field.

The 199cm backman jogged off the ground and did not return thereafter.

Blues midfielder Dale Thomas also sat out the second half after suffering concussion and blurred vision in a friendly fire head knock from teammate Alex Silvagni.

Geelong midfielder Nakia Cockatoo is expected to miss at least the next fortnight before the Cats' mid-season bye after injuring his right hamstring during the first quarter against the Western Bulldogs.

The 20-year-old, who hurt his thumb in round one and missed the next fortnight to recover from surgery, appeared to injure his leg while diving for a defensive mark at ground level.

Greater Western Sydney big man Rory Lobb pulled up sore after crashing into Richmond midfielder Dustin Martin in a first-quarter marking contest.

Lobb returned later in the term after a spell on the bench, but was clearly restricted in his movement and was rested for most of the second half.

Giants coach Leon Cameron said Lobb had tweaked his groin in consecutive weeks, putting him in doubt for Sunday's clash with West Coast at Domain Stadium.

"Someone fell on him last week – his groin was a bit sore. The exact same thing happened tonight which is unique," Cameron said.

"He just couldn't run, so 10 minutes into the third (quarter), the message was that he couldn't come back on."

The Giants have an extensive injury list, with forward Devon Smith the most recent casualty after tearing the meniscus in his right knee at the club's final training session before the clash with the Tigers.

Smith joins vice-captain Stephen Coniglio (ankle), Nick Haynes (hamstring), Jacob Hopper (finger), Ryan Griffen (ankle), Brett Deledio (calf), Matt Buntine (knee) and Adam Kennedy (knee) as long-term outs.

Collingwood midfielder James Aish came off second best in a head clash with Hawthorn youngster Daniel Howe midway through the third quarter, suffering a fractured cheekbone.

The 21-year-old went to hospital soon after the incident for scans and could miss up to a month, although a Collingwood spokesperson told AFL.com.au on Sunday that a timeframe for Aish's recovery, and the course of action to repair the injury, remained unclear.

Sydney utility Harry Cunningham will have scans to determine the extent of the right foot problem he experienced late in the third quarter against the Saints.

The 23-year-old had his foot assessed and strapped during the last break before the decision was made to put him on ice early in the final quarter, particularly with the Swans holding a comfortable lead.

Adelaide utility Curtly Hampton sprained his right ankle as he was brought to ground in a tackle from Brisbane Lions youngster Ben Keays midway through the third term.

Hampton, who will have scans, limped straight into the rooms and emerged later in the quarter with ice strapped around his lower leg, taking no further part.

Brisbane Lions defender Claye Beams hurt his right hamstring in the first half against Adelaide, continuing a frustrating run of injuries. 

The 25-year-old has been dogged by groin, foot and knee issues, which have restricted him to 51 games for the Lions since debuting in 2011.

St Kilda wingman Jack Newnes had a forgettable way to mark his 100-game milestone, suffering concussion in the first term in a bone-crunching collision with Sydney youngster Callum Mills.

Newnes was taken to the rooms for a lengthy consultation and was unable to return due to the heavy head knock, watching the rest of the game from the bench.

"He's really likely to play next week, that's the early call. We'll just have to see how he responds," Saints coach Alan Richardson said post-match.

North Melbourne midfielder Ben Cunnington appeared to badly injure his right knee in the first quarter against Melbourne when his leg became caught under a Jack Viney tackle in the centre square.

Cunnington, whose foot seemed to get stuck in the turf as he was brought to ground, walked off slowly and headed straight to the rooms, before performing run-throughs along the boundary later in the quarter. 

The 25-year-old returned to the field early in the second quarter with his knee strapped and did not let the issue restrict his output.

In other injury concerns in round nine:

- Hawthorn small forward Paul Puopolo pulled up sore from a contest just before half-time against Collingwood. The 29-year-old limped heavily into the rooms, but played through the pain barrier in the second half.

- Hawthorn forward Jack Gunston immediately reached for his left knee after his leg became caught under him in a third-quarter tackle from Collingwood midfielder Jack Crisp. Like Puopolo, Gunston was assessed and played on.

- St Kilda forward Mav Weller limped off in the first quarter after receiving an accidental boot from Sydney's Luke Parker to his right ankle – the same ankle he rolled at training earlier this month and forced him to miss round seven. The 25-year-old was assessed and managed to play out the game.

- Geelong midfielder Steven Motlop needed medical attention for a left hand/finger issue during the third quarter against the Western Bulldogs following a knock. He had it assessed and returned.

- Western Bulldogs vice-captain Easton Wood favoured his right shoulder following a first-quarter tackle on Geelong's Jordan Murdoch, but he played out the game with no visible signs of injury.

- Carlton midfielder Patrick Cripps hurt his left knee in a third-quarter contest against Fremantle. The 22-year-old received treatment, took a painkiller and came back on.

- Carlton swingman Jacob Weitering needed medical attention in the third quarter for a left arm issue, but returned soon after.

- Essendon defender Michael Hurley landed heavily on his left shoulder in a final-quarter marking contest against West Coast. The 26-year-old remained on the ground and finished the game.

- Essendon swingman Cale Hooker finished the game against West Coast with his right leg strapped.

- West Coast defender Sharrod Wellingham experienced an ankle problem early in the game, but played out the match.

- North Melbourne defender Lachie Hansen accidentally ran into teammate Aaron Mullett in a marking contest in the first quarter, but was cleared of concussion and returned after a short spell on the bench.