STAR Port Adelaide forward Chad Wingard has no issue with the tackle that knocked out his teammate Robbie Gray against Carlton on Saturday.
Blues midfielder Bryce Gibbs pinned Gray's arms and slammed him into the MCG turf in the second quarter of a match the Blues went on to win by four points.
Gray was taken from the field by stretcher but has recovered well and trained with the main group on Monday afternoon.
His absence in the second half on Saturday proved disastrous for the Power; he had eight clearances and two goals before being subbed out before half-time.
Wingard said Gray was unlucky rather than the victim of a malicious act.
"There's tackles like that … Gary Ablett cops it all the time, all the star players you try and rough up and tackle to the ground as hard as you can," Wingard said.
"It's just unlucky he had his arms pinned and couldn't really brace himself.
"Every side does that, it's just the game – you try and physically get into players, it doesn't matter who it is.
"It's a physical game, it's football, we're not playing soccer or we're not playing a game where you can't hit them.
"The positive thing is [Robbie's] fine, he gave us the thumbs up and he's here today and he's ready to go."
Gray's in no doubt to line up for the Power against the Sydney Swans after their round 13 bye, and should be joined by ruckman Patrick Ryder.
An Achilles injury has sidelined Ryder since round eight, but he has been building towards full fitness for a number of weeks.
Port's season hangs by a thread at 5-7 as it enters its bye, which Wingard said had come at an unfortunate time – he would prefer to return to the field as soon as possible to try and right the side's wrongs.
The 2013 club champion also denied any negativity had crept into the team on the back of disappointing results.
He insisted the playing group remained upbeat and focused on taking a step forward against the Swans in round 14.
"It's definitely not tense, we're not back in our shells, we're not thinking 'Oh this season's done' or we're not thinking it's time that we worried," he said.
"We're really just here to worry about what's laying ahead of us and that's Thursday night footy against Sydney in Sydney."
Wingard on Gibbs tackle: "It's just the game"
Chad Wingard says Bryce Gibbs' rough tackle against Robbie Gray is just part of the physical nature of the game.