Mercury (Hobart)

May, Spargo firmly in running after injury

- RUSSELL GOULD

GRAND final injury clouds over Melbourne duo Steven May and Charlie Spargo cleared as the pair trained in the sunlight in Perth.

Melbourne conducted its main session on Wednesday and both May (hamstring) and Spargo (ankle) took part.

Simon Goodwin and his coaching staff now have only one real dilemma – whether to stick with the 23 players who smashed Geelong in the preliminar­y final, or recall defenders Jayden Hunt and Joel Smith.

Melbourne’s success this season has been built on a onein, all-in attitude, which AllAustral­ian

star Christian Petracca said had grown with senior players embracing the role-playing philosophy.

“It kicked in all pre-season, every training session we have an emphasis on being selfless and playing your role,” he said on Wednesday.

“So many teams have won premiershi­ps doing that. There’s no real secret to it. We got to an age, I’m 25 now and maturing, and you just want to win and be part of a football club that is great.

“It’s a ripple effect. Once you get one person across the line, you see the leaders are doing it, then everyone understand­s this is what we stand for as a footy club. When we were 8-0 (to start the season), we realised it worked; accepting your role for the team.”

Petracca said the star-studded Demons midfield was set to go “head-to-head” with the Bulldogs on Saturday.

“I don’t think we’ll change what’s been working. The reason we have gotten here is because our system is strong, same as the Doggies,” he said.

“We are probably both the best two contested teams at it and that’s when the pressure is up, when the ball is on the ground and you need to win one-on-ones.”

Petracca said it was the Demons’ “system” devised by Goodwin – and finally this season produced consistent­ly on the field – which had helped carry Melbourne to the “surreal” moment of playing in a Grand Final.

“So many guys have been here before, we have had this success. We made a commitment over the off-season to put words into actions. To fulfil that, to be here, is surreal,” he said.

“I’ve always had belief in our system, ever since 2018. Sure, 2019 was a frustratin­g year, but the talent, the camaraderi­e between the group has always been there,” he said.

“It’s the on field culture now and accepting and understand­ing when we play for the Melbourne football club, this is what we do.”

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