WARRNAMBOOL midfielder Darcy Graham is a certain starter for Saturday’s Hampden league grand final after passing a rigorous fitness test.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Blues coach Scott Carter yesterday declared Graham had overcome a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the second semi-final.
He will replace fellow midfielder Jackson Bell, who suffered a fractured collarbone in the Blues’ 12-goal second semi-final triumph over Koroit.
Carter said Graham erased any concerns about his injured leg during Tuesday night’s training session for Saturday’s showdown with Koroit.
“I’ve never put someone through a fitness test like I did,” Carter said.
“He got through with flying colours. It was a tough fitness test.”
Carter waited until after his squad had completed a 70-minute session before taking Graham aside.
“It was a real solid 20- minutes fitness test. It was taxing on the body and he got through really well … a lot of agility drills, bending down. When he was fatigued he then had to kick 40 metres.
“Providing he pulls up well in the next two days, he will be right to go.”
Carter said the Blues were keen to make a decision early in the week and not leave it until tonight.
“I probably felt if he couldn’t get through training for a grand final on the Tuesday night, you generally only train for 40 minutes on a Thursday, then you are running a pretty thin line.
“It gives us peace of mind now. Medically, the scans showed no tear.”
Carter said Graham’s ability to overcome the injury was a credit to his commitment to rehabilitation.
Graham had moved well and showed no signs of the injury during the main session, before getting the all-clear from the coach. He will now join elder brother Travis in the line-up as the Blues chase a hat-trick of flags.
The Blues are unlikely to make any further changes to the victorious second semi-final side, with Graham an adequate replacement for the injured Bell, who characteristically had a smile on his face as he watched his teammates go through their paces on a firm Reid Oval surface.
Sprinklers were used on the ground for most of Tuesday in a bid to soften the rock-hard surface. Rain yesterday also helped take the edge off the surface.