AFL finals live updates: Swans strongly deny suspended star pair want out

Spare a thought for the parents of Caleb and Jai Serong tonight at the SCG!

The brothers face off tonight, with one set to play in a grand final and the other’s heart will be broken.

No winning outcome for the parents with such high stakes!

Today is Fremantle great Nathan Fyfe’s birthday! Surely they can’t lose a prelim for the dual Brownlow Medallist?

This remains the Dockers’ best ever chance to win a premiership, even after losing the qualifying final, forcing them onto the road.

Sydney GM of Football Leon Cameron has denied reports that star defender Nick Blakey wants out of the club.

It has been reported that Blakey’s relationship with the club has deteriorated following his suspension as part of the ‘Pullman Five’.

Blakey, Chad Warner, Isaac Heeney, Riley Bice and James Jordon have all been suspended for the season.

However, Cameron says Blakey has given the club no indication that he wants out.

“I spoke to Nick a couple of days ago. He has not indicated one bit at all about finishing up at our footy club,” he told SEN moments ago.

North Melbourne, Gold Coast and St Kilda have been linked with Blakey.

Warner, meanwhile, has been linked with a return home to Perth and with West Coast in particular.

Cameron said the star midfielder is particularly keen to stick with the club and earn back the trust of the group.

“We talk to Chad every two to three days. All the discussions are that he wants to be here and he wants to play footy,” he said.

“That’s the general consensus from all the players as well.”

Teams go in as selected.

Sydney defender Harry Cunningham was taken out of the prelim side with a calf injury suffered during the week.

News Corp is reporting that he is extremely unlikely to play in the grand final, should the Swans win tonight.

Another blow for a team missing numerous key players.

Tassie Devils coach Ken Hinkley believes the story surrounding Dane Rampe winning a Swans premiership as stand-in captain, after the drama surrounding the club these last few months, coupled with his four Grand Final losses, would surpass Sydney’s drought-breaking 2005 premiership win from a storytelling perspective.

Paul Roos famously lifted the cup that year and exclaimed “here it is”!

But Rampe, after four heartbreaking GF losses, with multiple stars out, with the club on its last legs, raising the cup would surpass that.

"It could be bigger, Dane Rampe winning it. Bigger than Paul Roos," Hinkley told SEN.

"It's a great story."

Sydney Swans coach Dean Cox gave a nod to the under-siege club’s supporters as hundreds showed up for an open training session at the SCG on Thursday.

In the latest indication that Sydney supporters have stuck fat with the club despite the Pullman scandal, an estimated 600 fans poured into the SCG to mingle with the team and watch them train before Friday’s preliminary final against Fremantle.

READ MORE HERE.

Here are the teams that were picked last night:

SYDNEY

B: J.Hamling, T.McCartin, D.Rampe

HB: S.Wicks, H.Kyle, J.McInerney

C: M.Roberts, E.Gulden, J.Serong

HF: J.Lloyd, L.McDonald, H.McLean

F: T.Papley, C.Curnow, B.Cootee

R: B.Grundy, J.Rowbottom, B.Campbell

I/C: L.Melican, A.Sheldrick, C.Cleary, T.Hanily, J.Dattoli

EMG: J.Amartey, W.Green, R.Andrew

IN: J.McInerney, L.Melican

OUT: C.Mills (injured), H.Cunningham (injured)

FREMANTLE

B: J.Clark, A.Pearce, O.McDonald

HB: K.Worner, L.Ryan, H.Chapman

C: M.Johnson, A.Brayshaw, N.Erasmus

HF: M.Frederick, M.Reid, S.Switkowski

F: J.Amiss, J.Treacy, P.Voss

R: L.Jackson, C.Serong, S.Bolton

I/C: J.McVee, C.Wagner, H.Young, I.Dudley, M.Cox

EMG: B.Cox, C.Scerri, J.O’Meara

IN: -

OUT: -

Port Adelaide‘s hopes of using Todd Marshall to get more draft picks as part of Zak Butters’ trade to the Western Bulldogs has all but been shut down by the AFL.

Butters, a restricted free agent, nominated the Bulldogs as his desired landing site in 2027, leaving the Power searching for the best way to capitalise on his exit.

READ MORE HERE.

Sydney coach Dean Cox believes star midfielder Justin McInerney is due for a “strong” return in Friday night’s preliminary finals clash with Fremantle.

McInerney has not played since round 13 as he battled a torn hamstring, but was the man picked to replace injured captain Callum Mills for the SCG blockbuster.

READ MORE HERE.