Kangaroos’ Lindsay Thomas cleared of wrongdoing in off-the-ball hit

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley left seething over North Melbourne player being let off the hook.

North Melbourne forward Lindsay Thomas has escaped suspension after being cleared by the AFL prompting Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley to declare “he got away with one.”

Thomas came under the spotlight when he made a solid hit on key Collingwood defender Ben Reid, with the players clashing heads, with the Magpie forced from the field with facial injuries.

Making matters worse for Collingwood was that Reid was subbed out of the game as a result of a concussion, while Thomas was free to play on.

The off-the-ball hit sparked a war of words in the post-match press conference between Buckley and North Melbourne coach Brad Scott, who told his counterpart it was not his place to comment over the hit.

But with news Thomas will be free to play against Geelong in round two, Buckley said he thought North Melbourne “got away with one”

“But that happens – sometimes you get good decisions, you get bad decisions, you get lucky ones, you get unlucky ones,” Buckley said.