St Kilda superstar Nick Riewoldt could miss up to three months but is expected to play again this season after the Saints declared his hamstring injury wasn't as bad as first feared.
Coach Ross Lyon said Riewoldt had escaped the most serious injury - tearing the muscle off the bone - but the full extent wouldn't be known until scans were taken over the weekend.
"As I said, we have to investigate it. If it was off the bone, do you reckon I would have half a smile on my face," Lyon said at his post-match press conference.
Riewoldt limped from the field on the cusp of half-time after hurting his right leg in a gritty 28-point win over Collingwood at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.
"We'll just have to wait and see how it goes," Riewoldt said.
"I haven't had hamstring (injuries) before. I'll have scans and see."
Leading sports medico Dr Peter Larkins told Triple M radio that he expected the champion forward to miss up to three months.
The hamstring tear capped a horrible night for the goalless Riewoldt who had his thigh worked on at quarter-time and hobbled off eight minutes into the second term with an ankle injury.
He had the joint re-taped, returned not long after but his night soon ended in a horrible manner.
Lyon was full of praise for his undefeated men who rallied with their forlorn skipper on the bench by keeping the Magpies goalless in the second half for the first time since 1987.
"All we have really done is bank four points but the merit of the four, under extreme adversity, and we had a few corks and big hits and hammies, it was really valuable for the belief," he said.
"Friday night is a big stage. You want to stand up, don't you?"
Lyon said the Saints would still be capable of kicking match-winning scores with Riewoldt on the sidelines.
"It's going to be a challenge. No doubt about it. That's a fact," he said.
"He is a key forward. He is pretty special. It's going to be a challenge but we have proved tonight we can cope."
"We kicked 4.3 in the last quarter when the game was up for grabs."
"Koschitzke will be back soon. We have (Rhys) Stanley, and (Michael) Gardiner has been in pretty good form."
Lenny Hayes, who finished the match with bandages wrapped around his face after a nasty head collision, Sam Gilbert and Sam Fisher, who somehow returned to the field after being stretchered off, were superb.
This match had all the feeling of a final, and emotions spilt over before the ball had even been bounced when Harry O'Brien crashed into Saints tagger Clint Jones.
Jones was a target throughout the first term, with the Magpies keen to wear him down and free up Alan Didak.
"We knew Rooy (Riewoldt) would be targeted, we knew 'CJ' would be," Lyon said.
"Clearly what we do is compete, we stick together. That's not unexpected. Clint plays within the rules. He certainly is not a holder, all those things. He doesn't hit people behind play."
Magpies coach Mick Malthouse appeared to have heated words with some Saints players at quarter-time, although he later denied this, claiming his words were directed at his own men.
Lyon said he hadn't seen the footage.
"We are investigating, we'll see what happens," Lyon said.