Collingwood captain Darcy Moore admitted it was difficult to continue playing their season opener against Geelong after Jeremy Howe's "distressing" arm injury.
The game was stopped for several minutes in the third quarter after Howe came down heavily on his left arm and appeared to break it.
The veteran Pies defender flew for a ball at half-back, colliding with Geelong's Tyson Stengle before crashing to the turf. Howe was in immediate pain, and was stretchered from the field while receiving the pain-relieving green whistle.
Broadcasters opted not to show the replay
Collingwood's entire side gathered around Howe as he left the field, and Moore spoke after the match of the toll the moment took on him and the team.
"It's heartbreaking. We go through so much together as AFL players," Moore told Channel Seven.
"You ride the highs and the lows really closely. To see one of your close teammates in a state like that, it's pretty distressing.
"It's pretty messed up that we then just have to forget about it and get on with the job.
"I'm getting a bit emotional just talking about it. It's a horrible part of our game, but we expect nothing less from Jeremy.
"He's an incredible teammate and puts his body on the line and that contest definitely showed that."
Collingwood ran out 22-point winners on the night, rallying in the wake of Howe's injury to pile on eight consecutive goals.
Magpies defender Brayden Maynard told ABC Sport it was "devastating" to see Howe stricken with the injury.
"For him to go down like that … I didn't realise the extent of the injury but when I went over there I saw the bone out of the arm so it's very disappointing," Maynard said.
"I'm actually pretty devastated because he finds himself sometimes getting injured and having long stints out of the game and he's such a vital player for us, so hopefully he's back bigger and stronger.
"He came from about 40 metres deep and I was thinking 'What is this bloke doing?' But that's what we teach, that's what we do.
"We come forward and he was just playing the system and as I said, it's devastating for him to go out like that.
"I love the bastard and hope he gets well."
A fantastic game of football was marred by a number of injuries, headlined by Howe but also including a knee injury suffered by Geelong's All Australian defender Tom Stewart.
Stewart slipped on the turf early in the first quarter and was subbed out at quarter time. Geelong have allayed early fears of an ACL injury, with a medial ligament strain appearing most likely.
There was also a knee concern for Geelong's Sam De Koning, who recovered to see out the game. Tyson Stengle and Taylor Adams both shook off knocks of their own to complete the match.
