Lynden Dunn thrilled for his Collingwood teammates despite pain of missing Grand Final

ON A fairytale night, Lynden Dunn was living a nightmare but while Dunn was crying, they were as much tears of joy for his Collingwood teammates as they were tears of sadness.

Lynden Dunn congratulates Tyson Goldsack after the win.

ON A fairytale night, Lynden Dunn was living a nightmare.

But while Dunn was crying, they were as much tears of joy for his teammates as they were tears of sadness.

The Collingwood defender, struck down with a torn ACL in Round 15, will this week tread one of the most agonising paths in footy, that of helpless onlooker of a Grand Final he knows he should be in.

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“I’ve never been to a Grand Final,” Dunn told the Herald Sun.

“I’m going to get emotional again. I’ve been waiting and waiting to play in one. Next week will be the first week that I’ve gone to watch.”

Dunn has played 196 games and been a success story at the Pies after crossing from Melbourne following the 2016 season.

Lynden Dunn at Collingwood training before the preliminary final.

But cruelly, he has never pulled the boots on for an AFL final of any kind.

“I’m emotional, but they’re happy tears. I’m so pumped for this group and these boys. Who would have thought that 12 months ago we would be in this position?” Dunn said.

“The thing is, I can’t change anything. I knew when I did my knee that my season was over. It’s not like when that happens that you want the team to lose every game for the rest of the year. I couldn’t be happier for them.”

Coach Nathan Buckley paid tribute to Dunn after the game, declaring him one of a number of contributors to an improbable Grand Final run that made it more than the 22 who play.

Incredibly, no club has been harder hit by injury this year than the Magpies.

Lynden Dunn in action for Collingwood earlier this year.

“Dunny’s in there (changerooms) in tears because he understands what he’s missing out on,” Buckley said.

“He’s got this pride for the group that he’s involved with, but this hurt that he carries, that ‘S***, this is something that I’ve missed out on and I’ve invested a lot into’.”

Dunn watched the game from the coach’s box, but it was when he spoke to his teammates in the rooms that the tears flowed.

“It was so good. Just reciprocated love,” he said.

“I love those boys and they love me and f… it’s exciting. I’ve never been a part of this before. I’ll be up all week, I reckon, and then hopefully come down around Tuesday week. That’s the plan.

“I’m so proud of ‘Bucks’ and this group and all the coaches, from where we’ve come from. It’s amazing.

“We had the game on our terms most of the night. We wanted to express ourselves, play our footy and take it to Richmond and we did that.

“We’ve got ourselves into a Grand Final and we’ve got a chance.”