Aliir Aliir a no-show at Sydney training as he battles to recover from knee injury for Grand Final against Western Bulldogs
SYDNEY has been forced to rule out key defender Aliir Aliir ahead of Saturday’s AFL Grand Final after he failed to overcome a knee injury.
Sydney
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ALIIR Aliir’s dream of a premiership has ended in heartbreak after the Swans ruled him out of Saturday’s grand final against the Western Bulldogs.
Aliir strained of the medial ligament in his right knee in the first quarter of Friday night’s preliminary final win over Geelong and didn’t return to the field.
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He attempted to prove his fitness at today’s training session at the SCG but couldn’t get through his program.
“Aliir has done all he could to give himself a chance to play on Saturday. Unfortunately he was unable to complete training and therefore can’t be considered for selection this week.” Swans football manager Tom Harley said.
“It’s always a tough situation for players facing some uncertainty over their fitness ahead of a game. Aliir is a young man of outstanding character and a bright future and he will be supporting the team on the weekend.”
Aliir’s rise to success in the AFL was arguably the story of the season. After spending the first seven years of his life in a Kenyan refugee camp he and his family emigrated to Australia where he took up aussie rules in Brisbane at the age of 14.
He was drafted by the Swans two years ago and made his debut in round six this season against the Lions.
Aliir’s story was so inspiring Virgin Airlines signed the rookie Swans as an ambassador for their “When colours unite, together we fly” campaign.
Aliir will travel with the team to Melbourne for the Grand Final. Virgin Australia are flying in his mother and sisters from Perth for the match to join Aliir in the grandstand on game day.
There was better news for injured pair Jarrad McVeigh (calf) and Callum Mills (hamstring) who did all that was asked of them and are expected to be available for Saturday’s grand final against the Western Bulldogs.
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Swans premiership captain Barry Hall said the Swans are unlikely to make more than one change to the team which beat the Cats.
“I don’t think you can pick them all,” Hall said.
“You’ve got to go into a grand final with a fit squad. A team relies on each other and they need no weak links. If one goes down it makes it that much tougher. Horse (John Longmire) is pretty measured so he won’t take a risk if there is any doubt.”
Hall expects the Swans co-captain will be the one to get the nod.
“If the grand final was last week Jarrad McVeigh would have played so I think he’s OK and he’s been running all week this week,” Hall said.
“Callum Mills is a soft tissue injury and that’s a concern. You have to trust your players, if you ask Callum Mills how he feels and I know players want to play in a grand final. If he does something in the first 10 minutes and he sits the game out how are you going to look John Longmire in the eye.”
Originally published as Aliir Aliir a no-show at Sydney training as he battles to recover from knee injury for Grand Final against Western Bulldogs
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