Crows forward Mitch McGovern is doing his best to stay positive and support his teammates on Grand Final eve despite being ruled out with a hamstring injury.
McGovern was unable to prove his fitness at Wednesday’s main training session, with Adelaide naming an unchanged lineup for Saturday’s decider at the MCG.
The high-flying forward said it was a bittersweet feeling.
“It’s pretty weird, I obviously wish I was out there with the boys,” McGovern said.
“I’m as good as I can be at the moment, I’m trying to stay as positive as I can.
“It’s good to still be a part of it and be over here with the team.”
McGovern reported soreness in his hamstring at training two weeks ago.
Wednesday’s open session was McGovern’s last chance to stake his claim for a Grand Final spot, but it was ultimately a bridge too far.
“Wednesday was a tough day. I didn’t sleep the night before,” McGovern said.
“I wanted to put my best foot forward and I wanted to be playing in the team. I tried my heart out but it was still a bit tight and sore.”
Senior Coach Don Pyke was quick to console the young forward.
“He (Pyke) was obviously a bit flat for me, but at the same time, he said that he’s going to be with me during this journey and the boys have been with me the whole way.”
After sitting down with Pyke and the other coaches during the week, McGovern decided he wanted to travel to Melbourne and stay involved with the team.
“The plan is to be as involved as possible I guess to my own discretion,” he said.
“I didn’t go to training this morning because I couldn’t really bring myself to it, but I will be alongside the team the whole way through the team meetings and hopefully on game day as well.”