Fremantle Dockers defender says his calf strain is not as bad as first feared.
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon is breathing easier after news from his medical staff declared Luke McPharlin’s calf strain should not rule him out of the biggest game of the season.
Fears were that the key defender might miss the decider after he aggravated an abductor/calf complain.
McPharlin, who missed eight weeks when he tore his calf muscle in Round 15, spent extended stints on the interchange bench during Saturday night’s 25-point preliminary final win against Sydney.
But the Dockers veteran said it was the Swans’ forward structure rather than injury concerns that limited his game time during the later stages of the match.
“It was a pretty physical game, but I am all right,” McPharlin said on Sunday. “I’ve pulled up well.
“I came off a bit more often than I normally would in a game, but I think given the way Sydney was structuring up, they didn’t play two or three legitimate talls, we had the opportunities to rotate myself, Michael Johnson and Zac Dawson.
“We were just getting looked after a bit, the key defenders, because we didn’t have to be out there, all of us together.
“So, yeah, no issues.”
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