Sydney Swans veteran Dane Rampe has been cleared to play in the AFL grand final after escaping with a fine from the match review officer, but hurt teammates Logan McDonald and skipper Callum Mills are entering desperation mode.
Rampe put himself at risk of missing the decider when he bumped Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters in Friday night’s preliminary final win.
The Swans man raised his arm and seemingly caught the Power star high after he dished off a quickfire handball.
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Butters immediately got to his feet while Port were paid a down-the-ground free kick.
After Sydney’s 14.11 (95) to 8.11 (59) win, Rampe told ABC Radio “it wasn’t a big hit” and he wasn’t worried about the prospect of missing the grand final through suspension.
And so it proved, with the AFL MRO deciding the hit was not worth a ban.
Rampe’s shot was crucially classified careless conduct and low impact, with the high contact only enough to earn a $2500 sanction with an early guilty plea.
The decision eases just one of several worries for the Swans heading into their second grand final in three years.
McDonald, who was dropped for the 2022 edition, suffered an ankle injury late on Friday night against Port.
The Swans have given the 22-year-old an extra day before being formally assessed.
“It’ll be the big story during the week, the race against time,” 7NEWS Melbourne’s Mitch Cleary said.
“The ankle rolled inwards, which is worse than rolling outwards, so there is some concern around this.
“He was the man dropped in 2022 so he’ll be desperate to play.”
Mills was an enforced omission from the preliminary final with a minor hamstring strain.
“He trained in the morning and will have a big session on Wednesday to see if he can prove himself,” Cleary said.
“From time of injury to game time next week it will be 17 days (since his last appearance). He’ll be pushing it.”
Swans coach John Longmire recalled Mills for the 2016 grand final in eerily similar circumstances, with the academy product having suffered a hamstring injury in week one of the finals on that occasion.
More recently, Longmire admitted it was a mistake to pick an injured Sam Reid in the 2022 grand final that the Swans lost.
Mills was non-committal when asked on Channel 7 about his prospects of being passed fit.
“I’ll give it a crack this week and see how we go,” he said.
Taylor Adams appears to be on the outer despite featuring in 19 matches during his first year at the Swans.
The 31-year-old was dropped in week one of the finals, making way as Sydney recalled fit-again stars Tom Papley and Isaac Heeney amid four changes.
It now appears unlikely Adams will be picked for the decider, barring a fresh setback to a teammate at training.
He was in tears after the 2023 grand final having been reduced to watching his Collingwood teammates as a spectator because of a hamstring injury.
Longmire, who missed playing in North Melbourne’s 1996 premiership after undergoing a knee reconstruction and was then overlooked in the Kangaroos’ side that contested the 1998 grand final, could only sympathise with Adams.
“I’ve been there as a player,” Longmire said.
“A couple of times, both with injury and non-selection. So absolutely you do feel for him.
“But his attitude has been terrific. He was out on the ground tonight soaking in the moments and we’re not sure what happens this week.
“So just keep working and see how the week progresses.”
Adams said he was “ecstatic” when interviewed by Channel 7 after the game.
“I thought that was probably our best performance for the year,” Adams said.
“We played probably the best four quarters of footy we’ve played and I am rapt for the boys.
“After going through last year, I sort of learned to really enjoy this, what’s been thrown at me. Looking forward to a great week.”
– with AAP