Geelong coach Chris Scott is confident Tom Stewart won’t face AFL suspension over his awkward collision with Port Adelaide’s Ollie Wines, but admits the outlook could have been worse.

Stewart faces a nervous wait for the match review officer’s findings after he jumped off the ground in an attempt to smother a Wines handpass and landed on his opponent during the Cats’ 88-point win at GMHBA Stadium on Sunday.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Tom Stewart hits Ollie Wines in awkward incident.

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The act did not appear malicious and Stewart immediately showed concern for Wines, who was clearly sore but able to play out the game and was one of the Power’s best contributors.

St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt was among the onlookers who likened the incident to the infamous Brayden Maynard-Angus Brayshaw collision in 2023.

That incident prompted a rule change that called on players to have a greater duty of care to avoid high contact with opponents.

“You’ve got to be able to attempt to make a play on the ball. His initial intention is the ball,” Riewoldt said Channel 7.

“What happens after that ... I think it’s too much to ask of a player to have duty of care in that situation, when you can see his only intention was to play the ball.”

Scott felt Stewart had done all he could to prevent further damage from a football act.

“You’re not like a magic bullet where you can change your trajectory in the air but you do have to mitigate the damage to the other player if you can,” Scott said.

“I thought he just fell on top of him, so yeah, I’m very confident that he’d be OK.”

Scott, who also referenced the Maynard-Brayshaw incident, admitted Stewart would be in hot water if Wines had been more seriously hurt.

“We’re in an environment now where if anyone gets concussed we’re looking for someone to pay,” Scott said.

“That’s why you have to be so careful. I’m not arguing that’s the wrong way to think about it.”

Port coach Ken Hinkley wasn’t keen to buy into the debate around Stewart’s awkward moment.

“From a long way away it was just some bloke trying to do what he should be trying to do, from what I see,” Hinkley said.

“I don’t get involved in any of those footy decisions that players have to make.

“It’s really hard on them and I don’t think there was any intent in that.”

Also on Sunday, North Melbourne forward Paul Curtis inexplicably punched St Kilda’s Angus Hastie in the throat and was reported on the spot during the Saints’ nine-point win at Marvel Stadium.

Curtis is certain to be banned over the incident, which happened off the ball on the quarter-time siren.

Meanwhile, Richmond ruckman Toby Nankervis has avoided sanction for an incident in which he clattered into an umpire following a wayward centre bounce.

The AFL has clamped down on umpire contact this year, even introducing a policy in which players can now be suspended if they have four or more such incidents in the space of two years.

Intrigue surrounded the question of whether Nankervis would be punished for his umpire collision from Saturday’s 84-point loss to Gold Coast.

Nankervis bundled over the umpire while trying to move towards a skewed centre bounce.

As the umpire hit the ground, Gold Coast ruckman Jarrod Witts fell on top of him.

Match review officer Michael Christian found Nankervis had no case to answer.

West Coast recruit Liam Baker can accept a $2000 fine for a rough conduct charge involving Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn.

Melbourne defender Christian Salem and Brisbane Lions star Lachie Neale were handed $1000 fines for tripping offences.