Coorow-Latham’s Logan McDonald set to play in grand final following injury scare

While there are no WA teams to barrack for in the AFL grand final, Logan McDonald will fly the flag as the Mid West link in Saturday’s decider. It was looking like another heartbreak for the Coorow-Latham product but the key forward is now set to play in the grand final. McDonald was subbed out of Sydney’s 36-point preliminary final win over Port Adelaide on Friday night with an ankle injury. The Swans forward kicked two goals before his night ended in the fourth quarter after he landed awkwardly from a marking contest with the Power’s Miles Bergman, leaving the game with his ankle heavily taped. There was concerns the 22-year-old could miss out on his second grand final in three years. In 2022, McDonald was dropped from the Swans side on the eve of the grand final after appearing in their previous five games and playing 17 for the season. Sydney would go on to receive a thrashing from Geelong in the decider but this time around it looks as though McDonald will be all set to play against Brisbane. Swans coach John Longmire said on Tuesday that McDonald was on track to be good to go. “Logan was really good today, we expect him to be able to get through training tomorrow and be right to play,” he said. The former Coorow-Latham Magpie kicked a career high 37 goals this season and appeared in all 25 games for Sydney. Despite receiving interest to come back to his home state of WA from Fremantle, McDonald signed a four-year extension with Sydney in July, keeping him in New South Wales until 2028. The key forward was born in Bunbury but played football for Coorow-Latham in the North Midlands Football League, where he was the youngest of four generations of McDonalds to play for the Magpies. McDonald was drafted with pick No.4 in the 2020 draft by the Swans after excelling that year, winning Perth’s leading goal-kicker award in the WAFL with 21 goals in nine games. Sydney co-captain Callum Mills has been ruled out after tweaking a hamstring at training in their qualifying final win over Greater Western Sydney. While on Brisbane’s side, they face a big selection call with ruck Oscar McInerney suffering a shoulder injury in the preliminary win over Geelong, with Darcy Fort the likely replacement. The links to Geraldton run deep in the grand final, with Brisbane Lions chairman Andrew Wellington having played football for St Pats back in his junior days.