Brisbane Roar have attempted to explain Milorad Stajic's bizarre concussion incident, claiming he simply followed the referee's call to return to the field.
Confusion reigned late in the first half of Sunday's A-League Men's match against Macarthur FC when Stajic returned to the pitch after initially needing on-field treatment for a head injury.
Soon after, he tangled with Bulls player Liam Rose and angrily grabbed at the Bulls’ skipper’s head, sparking angry remonstrations between both sides and prompting referee Adam Kersey to issue a yellow card.
In the Campbelltown Sports Stadium chaos, Stajic was hastily subbed off under concussion protocols after avoiding a red card.
Both coaches were unable to explain the chain of events that led to Macarthur general manager of football Anthony Siciliano being issued a red card during the dispute.
“I was thinking he was off and I was going to have to make a change and I was trying to work that out. So I’m not sure what happened there,” Roar coach Michael Valkanis said post-game.
The Roar on Monday described it as a "clear miscommunication with the officiating team" and that the "club takes player welfare and the concussion protocols extremely seriously".
"As the footage shows at 35:52, Milorad re-entered the field only after the on-field referee signalled him back on," a statement read.
"Our match day doctor had determined that Milorad should not continue, and the club substituted him at the first opportunity."
It's understood the fourth official was not aware Milorad was being treated for concussion and had indicated to Kersey he was free to return after the mandatory one-minute rest for any player that receives general on-field treatment.
AAP understands the incident will be informally reviewed.
The Roar won 2-1 thanks to Justin Vidic’s 95th-minute strike to remain undefeated, with two victories and a draw to begin the season.
