WEST Coast star Jeremy McGovern has revealed he was a last-second inclusion for the Grand Final parade after the AFL insisted he take part.
The Eagles star had hoped to miss the event as he continued his intensive recovery from internal bleeding and torn obliques, but was forced to catch an Uber to the parade, arriving well after his teammates.
"We were planning on not going (to the parade) because obviously it is a two-hour thing and we were going to try to get a bit more work on [my injuries] before training," he said.
"The AFL said no so I just had to rock up late in the Uber, which was nice. It is what it is and it worked out."
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McGovern, who spent a night in hospital after the preliminary final thrashing of Melbourne and needed six injections on Grand Final day, then suffered cracked ribs during the epic comeback against Collingwood.
By playing through pain and taking the decisive intercept mark which kickstarted the chain of possession leading to Dom Sheed's clutch match-winning goal, McGovern has forever etched his name into Grand Final folklore.
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But the laidback 26-year-old hasn't been getting carried away by the adulation.
"It's all been glorified a fair bit, to be honest most people probably play in a bit of pain," McGovern said.
"This was probably a little bit more than normal for myself. It was a tough week. Luckily, I got there in the end, luckily I've got good physios and docs around me.
"I'm glad we won as well."
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McGovern is yet to resume contact training after being sent for an operation last month to insert a plate over the problem area.
Speaking at Jurien Bay Primary School on Tuesday during the Eagles' Community Camp, the three-time All Australian defender revealed he might need to wear a guard early in his comeback.
"I can feel it (the plate). I've got a bit of extra padding around there naturally, so it's hard to get through that, but I can feel it there," McGovern said.
"(A guard) is something we'll probably look at.
"I have pretty much done 90 per cent of the pre-season. I just had to have a small surgery on my rib, to put a plate in it to help it heal.
"I am running, trying to stay away from contact a little bit, but JLT – I have pretty much pencilled it in to play in that.
"It is a couple of weeks away, so I should be fine."
McGovern isn't the only premiership-winning Eagle who has been racing the clock, with spearhead Josh Kennedy (legs/shoulder) in doubt for the season-opener in Brisbane and small forward Jamie Cripps (toe) expected to miss the early rounds.
Dual club champion Elliot Yeo (toe) and full-back Tom Barrass (foot) have only recently returned to main training after the late finish to last season and resultant shortened summer.
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Yeo hoped to play some part in West Coast's intraclub hit-out this Friday after a toe "clean-up" before Christmas.
"Obviously, the aim is round one, but it's just about ticking boxes with the strength and conditioning side of things and trying to get myself in as best (condition) as possible, really," Yeo said.
"It was pretty painful (last year). Weeks would go by where early on in the week it was pretty tough to try and walk around."
McGovern, arguably the League's No.1 defender, has dropped a "few kegs" this summer in a bid to prepare for an increasingly demanding and faster game.
The intercept marking specialist is also preparing for more one-on-one contests due to the new 6-6-6 starting positions at centre bounces.
"I think the ruck dominance is going to be pretty big, first hands to the footy in the middle there and there's going to be a lot of one-on-ones," McGovern said.
"It's going to be pretty traditional and back to the old school days, I think. You've just got to win your one-on-ones and go from there.
"After the centre bounce it will be pretty much normal, but that centre bounce might bring a few things up."
