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We'll be right for grand final: sore Swans

Sydney co-captain Jarrad McVeigh and Rising Star winner Callum Mills say they won't play with any fear of breaking down when they return in the AFL grand final.

Rising Star winner Callum Mills is adamant he will be cherry ripe for the AFL grand final, with both Sydney and the Western Bulldogs upbeat there will be no late changes on Saturday at the MCG.

With Mills set to return from a hamstring strain, Swans co-captain Jarrad McVeigh was also selected after overcoming a calf issue.

The Bulldogs included ruckman Jordan Roughead (eye) and defender Dale Morris (achilles) in their side, with coach Luke Beveridge declaring both will be right to play.

Mills hasn't played a full game since August 20, having tweaked his hamstring during the Swans' loss to Greater Western Sydney in week one of the finals.

But the 19-year-old harbours no fear about breaking down during the high-stakes contest.

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"We've done all the possible steps we can and are very confident going into tomorrow that the hamstring will be strong," Mills said.

"I've been training for a couple of weeks now, so it's not really at the forefront of my mind."

Mills dismissed the idea his run at the MCG on Friday morning was a fitness test.

"I didn't have to do anything extra today. It was just a normal week and, if I got through the week, I'd be fine," he said.

"I hadn't done a hamstring before so ... I wasn't too positive straight away but, when we got the scans, we knew I'd be in with a shot."

McVeigh hasn't progressed as far in his rehab but is likewise bullish.

"There's always risks but we've had players play with this injury before," he said.

"(The plan) was to train Wednesday, do a bit of running and then do a lot more than the boys today.

"I did that, I feel great and I'm ready to go."

Meanwhile, Beveridge revealed the full extent of Morris' recent setback.

"It was in the warm-up last week; he just had something going on with his achilles which was a bit alarming," Beveridge said.

"We thought for a second we were going to have to pull him out of the game.

"It just turns out it's a minor little thing. He's been fine."

Beveridge expressed similar sentiments about Roughead but suggested selecting Matt Suckling would have been a risk.

Suckling, nursing a sore achilles this month, missed the Bulldogs' preliminary final. But he's been named as an emergency for the grand final.

"It's disappointing for Matty, but it was just too hard to omit one of his teammates," he said.


3 min read

Published

Source: AAP



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