CARLTON defender Heath Scotland says bumping an injured player who is leaving the ground for treatment is not in the spirit of the game.

St Kilda's Leigh Montagna jostled Scotland's teammate Ed Curnow as he moved toward the bench after injuring his right shoulder in the first quarter of the match the Blues ultimately won by three points on Monday night. 

Scotland did not see the incident involving Curnow, but said he disapproved of the practice.

"If a player is injured and coming off the ground I think you've got to allow him to get off the ground," Scotland said from Visy Park on Tuesday.

"It's probably not right to get in the way or harass him or bump him. Just allow him to get off the ground."

Curnow will have scans on Tuesday to determine the severity of the injury he suffered after being slung to the ground in a strong tackle, but initial tests suggested a sprain of the AC joint that will not require surgery.

In scenes reminiscent of the round one clash between St Kilda and the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba in 2005, Curnow winced in pain after receiving a bump from Montagna on his way to the bench.

Montagna's teammate Nick Riewoldt missed five games after suffering a fractured collarbone against the Lions, with Mal Michael and Chris Scott creating a stir when they bumped Riewoldt's shoulder as he ran to the bench.

Curnow was clearly struggling with the injury when he came back onto the field after having his shoulder strapped. Opposition players again physically tested him, but Scotland didn't take issue with that.

"If they're out there then they're fair game," he said of any player who returned to the field after receiving treatment.

"When you're out there and playing then our rules allow us to tackle blokes and tackle hard and play a physical game. When you're out there playing you can't just allow one bloke a bit of leeway."

Players from both sides became embroiled in a heated melee as they moved to their quarter-time huddles, but Scotland said the confrontation wasn't sparked by the treatment of Curnow.

"It was two sides that were competitive and wanted to play for the four points and show that they were there for the battle," he said.

"That sort of stuff is going to happen from time to time. There was nothing malicious [in it], it wasn't anything nasty, just two competitive sides wanting to win the game and putting everything on the line.

"I don't think there was too much to read into it. It was just two sides who were there to have a crack. It was a big game for their season and a big game for us as well. We were just in there flying the flag."

Carlton has a bye this weekend and takes on Geelong in a huge Friday night clash to kick off round nine.