AFL grand final selection news: Darcy Fort backed against Grundy, Callum Mills pushes case to play
Oscar McInerney’s Grand Final dream is officially over after scans on Monday confirmed he would miss the decider against Sydney. How will the Lions replace him — and will Callum Mills play?
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Sydney coach John Longmire says Callum Mills will need to survive a training session at “absolute 100 per cent intensity” on Wednesday to push his case for the AFL grand final.
Mills remains in the frame to return from a hamstring injury he suffered at training after the Swans’ preliminary final win, as Longmire said the club had learnt from previous attempts to get star players to the starting line for big finals.
The coach said key forward Logan McDonald looked fit to play after he was subbed out of the preliminary final win over Port Adelaide with a sprained ankle.
Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley told Fox Footy’s On the Couch on Monday that the fateful decision to pick an underdone Sam Reid for the 2022 grand final would play on Longmire’s mind when it came to a decision on his captain.
“Are you taking any soft tissue risk at all? That’s the question (Longmire) will be asking himself, prosecuting the medicos and prosecuting Callum Mills,” Buckley said.
“Because I’m pretty sure (the Swans) had the same conversations with Sam Reid. If I’m John Longmire, I’ve been scarred by what happened in 2022 because they took in a player who quite clearly wasn’t ready and might’ve re-nicked (his adductor injury) five minutes into the game.”
Longmire told reporters on Tuesday that the lesson from Reid’s selection would be a factor in the Swans’ decision but added that the Swans had past successes getting players through to the grand final that might have been overlooked.
“You always learn, and one of those things is to train at 100 per cent … get through training and train flat out,” he said.
“(Sam Reid) is one of the stories. In 2012, we played Teddy Richards and he didn’t really walk all week – he had a crook ankle and we thought, ‘How about playing on Lance Franklin in the grand final?’ and he got through OK. Those are the stories that don’t get talked about.”
Longmire said Brisbane would be having the same discussions internally over sore players as he said Mills would push hard on Wednesday to mount his case.
“Callum will train flat out (on Wednesday) – that’s the plan – he will turn up tomorrow and train at absolute 100 per cent intensity and we’ll see how we go,” Longmire said.
“Obviously, (I’ve) got a good relationship with Cal. (I) speak to him about a number of things all the time – his role for this week, whether he plays or not, and making sure he gives himself a chance tomorrow.
“He trained (Monday) and trained really well. That was a good sign … we’ll see how he goes tomorrow. The aim is to go out there and train 100 per cent.”
BIG LION’S GF BLOW CONFIRMED — IS FORT THE MAN?
— Josh Barnes
Incoming Lions ruck Darcy Fort has been backed in to quell Brodie Grundy as coaching great Mick Malthouse urged the Swans not to take a risk on captain Callum Mills.
Both Brisbane and Sydney will ponder selection questions in grand final week.
First-choice ruckman Oscar McInerney was officially ruled out on Tuesday after a double dislocation of his shoulder during the preliminary final win over Geelong.
“McInerney was subbed out after dislocating his shoulder, with scans on Monday officially confirming that he would not take his place in the Grand Final,” a Lions statement said.
The man mountain has played 25 of Brisbane’s 26 games so far this year, with Fort and youngster Henry Smith the two options floated by Chris Fagan to take his spot.
The Lions won’t force Joe Daniher to shoulder the ruck role alone and instead will bring in a tall.
Fort, who was an emergency on Saturday, is the clear frontrunner and set to play just his third game of the year in the grand final.
A mature draft pick by Geelong in 2018, Fort graduated from local Geelong side South Barwon to the VFL and SANFL before making the AFL grade.
He played eight games with the Cats before heading north to the Lions before the 2022 season, where he has made 27 appearances.
The journeyman ruck may be perfectly suited to tackle Grundy, according to former Geelong teammate Josh Jenkins.
“Brodie Grundy would I think bully the youngster (Smith),” Jenkins told SEN.
“Darcy Fort’s role, it is not going to be easy against Brodie Grundy but he is a very good match up for Grundy. Big Darce likes to grapple and wrestle and make it ugly. He is an amazing competitor.
“If you were going to have this situation, I don’t know that anyone is going to have a better back-up than Darcy Fort for Brodie Grundy.”
Grundy was slowed down by unheralded pair Scott Lycett and Nathan Vardy at the peak of his powers in the 2018 Grand Final and had just 10 disposals as his Collingwood was pipped by West Coast.
Mills has committed to doing everything he can to be passed fit after injuring his hamstring in Sydney’s bye week.
Key forward Logan McDonald did not train with the Swans in a light session on Sunday, as he nurses a rolled ankle.
The Swans have been adamant he will be fit to play.
Mills was replaced by Robbie Fox in the preliminary final, with Braeden Campbell upgraded to the starting 22, as midfielder Taylor Adams didn’t make the cut for the emergencies.
The Swans skipper would play just 18 days after the hamstring strain, when the typical wait time for a hammy is 21 days.
A shoulder injury picked up on Mad Monday limited Mills to just seven appearances this year and while he had picked up form late in the season, he had only been modest in his opening outings.
Malthouse, who coached West Coast to two flags and Collingwood one, said he wouldn’t open the door to Mills.
“Mills’ lead-up has been poor. He has had a dislocated shoulder, got that operated on, so had a pre-season that wouldn’t have been normal,” Malthouse told ABC.
“It’s not as if he has a long history this year of (good performance). You can get over one (a hamstring) in 14 days they say, depends how bad it was.
“Not with his lead up, I would not risk him.”
Sydney infamously played Sam Reid in the 2022 grand final with an adductor issue, only for him to be subbed out just after half time.
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