Roughead eyes grand prize as Swans roll the dice
A medical appointment this morning has confirmed that Western Bulldogs ruckman Jordan Roughead will play in the AFL grand final tomorrow.
Roughead was last night named in an unchanged Bulldogs line-up for Saturday’s match against Sydney, but his eye specialist still had to give him clearance to play.
He suffered bleeding in his eye when a ball was kicked into his face during last week’s heart-stopping preliminary final win over the GWS Giants.
The Bulldogs’ unchanged team means defender Matt Suckling looms as a grand final hard luck story.
The former Hawks premiership player was left out of the preliminary final side because of an achilles problem.
Bulldog defender Matthew Suckling at training yesterday. Photo: Julian Smith / AAP
Suckling was added to the Bulldogs’ emergencies for the grand final, along with Lin Jong, who has made a rapid recovery from the broken collarbone he suffered in the elimination final win over West Coast.
It was thought at the time that Jong’s season was over, but he was best afield on Sunday as Footscray won the VFL grand final.
Sydney made two changes, recalling co-captain Jarrad McVeigh and Rising Star winner Callum Mills from injury.
McVeigh missed last Friday night’s rousing preliminary final win over Geelong with a calf injury, but said before that match he was only a couple of days away from being able to play.
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Mills has been out of action for two games with a hamstring injury and appears to be more of a selection risk.
Agile defender Aliir Aliir was already ruled out due to the knee injury he suffered against the Cats and Sydney also dropped fellow defender Harry Marsh.
-AAP
