Sydney coach John Longmire knows better than most that AFL grand finals can be heartbreaking for players, even before the ball is bounced.
The former North Melbourne forward watched his side’s 1996 triumph over Sydney from the MCG coaches’ box due to a knee reconstruction, while he wasn’t picked in the Kangaroos side that lost to Adelaide in the 1998 grand final.
There will always be hard-luck stories on the last Saturday of September, but both Hawthorn and Sydney were able to head off a few on Monday.
Swans ruckman Shane Mumford was cleared by the match review panel, despite murmurs he had deliberately made contact with the injured knee of Collingwood forward Chris Dawes.
Longmire confirmed Ted Richards, who looked in all sorts of trouble with an ankle injury early in the preliminary final against the Magpies, would be fine to take on the Hawks.
Hawks midfielder Jordan Lewis expressed “no doubt” captain Luke Hodge would recover from a bout of gastro to take on the Swans.
But the hamstrung duo of Sydney’s Ben McGlynn and Hawthorn’s Brent Guerra remain in a race against the clock to not only prove fitness, but show their respective coaches they are a calculated selection risk worth taking.
The Swans are hopeful McGlynn, who like on-baller Josh Kennedy came to the harbour city via Hawthorn, will on Thursday complete a regular training session for the first time since injuring his hamstring in week one of the finals against Adelaide.
However even if McGlynn makes it through that SCG hit-out, he is no certainty to dislodge somebody from the side that defeated the Magpies in last Friday’s preliminary final.
“We need to make sure we make the right decision, and when the facts are in front of us we’ll do that,” Longmire said of the 27-year-old who had been a mainstay of the team prior to his setback.
“If he ticks the right boxes, it gives him a chance to play. We’ve got to be very clinical about it and that’s what we’ll be.”
Longmire, who overcame the two grand final setbacks to play his swansong in North’s 1999 premiership team, noted sentiment wouldn’t feature at the selection table this week.
“This time of the year, it’s always a tough time of the year for some players and it’s a great time of the year for most players,” he said.
“But some players find it very tough, there’ll be no difference this week. And there’ll be no difference at Hawthorn.”
Lewis was content he wouldn’t be the one to make a decision on whether veteran defender Guerra returns.
“The coaches are paid to do what they do and they’re paid to make tough calls, so they’ll make a call when the time is necessary,” the Hawks vice-captain said.