Western Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli is successful a contention to beryllium acceptable for his side's preliminary last day with Port Adelaide adjacent week aft picking up a genu injury.
Bontempelli finished the Bulldogs' pulsating semi-final triumph implicit the Brisbane Lions connected the seat aft landing awkwardly pursuing a marking contention successful the last minutes.
As the timepiece ticked down, the Brownlow Medal favourite was seen grimacing arsenic trainers worked feverishly connected his genu and helium was not capable to get backmost onto the ground.
Following the match, wherever helium finished with 29 disposals, Bontempelli admitted that a determination was made to get him disconnected the crushed owed to the wounded hampering his moving ability.
"Should beryllium alright. Initial tests are beauteous good," helium told the Seven Network.
"I was a spot ginger initially, truthful alternatively than limp retired determination the close happening to bash was marque a change."
Following the match, Bulldogs manager Luke Beveridge said the squad was unsure whether Bontempelli would beryllium acceptable for the preliminary final, with the prima midfielder acceptable to acquisition scans connected his knee.
"He conscionable copped a sound to the backmost of his knee," Beveridge said.
"It's hard to cognize the grade of immoderate injury. He's evidently a small spot sore, but we'll person a small spot of clip earlier we tin measure it. We'll astir apt get a scan erstwhile we get to Perth and spot if there's immoderate harm successful there."
Bontempelli was afloat of praise for his teammates aft they got the occupation done successful what proved to beryllium immoderate of the astir tense shot of the season.
"It's what we request to do, it's what the crippled asked of us," helium said.
"We cognize what a prime outfit Brisbane are. At antithetic points we thought we were going to other time.
"I'm definite it was bully viewing. This was the cleanable illustration of what a finals crippled is like. You can't beryllium much proud."
The genu wounded to Bontempelli is 1 of 2 wounded headaches to travel retired of the lucifer for the Bulldogs aft Cody Weightman was subbed disconnected astatine half-time with what was officially called a "head knock" by the club.
Weightman picked up the sound successful the last seconds of the 2nd 4th erstwhile helium was near sprawled connected the turf aft moving into Brisbane defender Marcus Adams portion watching the shot successful the air.
The authoritative terminology of the wounded is interesting, owed to the information that had the Bulldogs officially subbed retired the dynamic guardant with a concussion, helium would automatically miss adjacent week's lucifer owed to the AFL's existent concussion protocols.
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