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Matt - prousdly Un-Australian on Mel ends up with shirt after all Just look, at her name, explains her actions, just shocked she didn't sell it on ebay top make a profit. Why is Mitchell ... more
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Andrew on Mel ends up with shirt after all From a technical curiosity point of view, how was the camera angle able to be shifted on the replay vision? Was that footage ... more
David on Mel ends up with shirt after all OMG her husband is playing the Race Card to deflect the angst from her. more

Beams' brave confession

Posted by: Ben Wise | 30 September, 2011 - 10:47 AM

Dayne Beams' grand-father wants speculation to end

Dayne Beams’ grand-father says the Collingwood midfielder would’ve played in Saturday’s AFL Grand Final had he not torn a muscle in his groin.

Speaking to 3AW from Yarrawonga, Terry Christie said his grand-son had been playing with a groin problem during the preliminary final win against Hawthorn, when he managed just two possessions.

Mr Christie wanted the record to be clear that it is Beams', and his family's, belief that it was not for 'form reasons' he was dropped. Speculation has continued on Friday Beams has no actual injury.

Beams, according to Mr Christie, did not mention the issue with his groin to Collingwood coaching staff in the days after the Pies’ thrilling come-from-behind win, and then trained with the club on Tuesday.

It was after this session Beams realised he was struggling to get up for the AFL decider and on Wednesday he consulted Mick Malthouse, apparently telling the senior coach he 'doubted he could get through a full game'.

Collingwood then sent him off to have scans on his injured groin where it was revealed he had a tear, which subsequently led to him being dropped and replaced in the side by Alex Fasolo.

Mr Christie said initially Beams was ‘shattered’ by the events which led to him being replaced in the side, but he was proud his grand-son had put the team first.

“I watched Mick Malthouse on The Footy Show tell the true story last night and I said to my wife ‘I hope to Christ the press puts that in their stories’,” Mr Christie said, keen to highlight his belief Beams would have played had he not confessed to having the injury.

Malthouse praised Beams for his decision, which was a repeat of last year's grand final week when Simon Prestigiacomo - who had been cleared to play - told the club he wasn't right.

''I think we've got to take our hat off to young Dayne Beams because he came into my office on Wednesday and said 'I don't know whether I can get through the game and I don't want to let my players down'," Malthouse said on The Footy Show last night.

"Perhaps that legacy of Simon Prestigiacomo, No. 35, and it's just coincidental that that 35 will play in his first grand final, in Alex Fasolo, and he wears No. 35. So I don't think anyone is going to muck up after what Simon Prestigiacomo has gone through."

While Beams withdrew from consideration, the Magpies have expressed confidence that sore pair Darren Jolly and Ben Reid would play.

Collingwood football operations chief Geoff Walsh said on Thursday night Jolly and Reid had trained strongly and would play.

The news of Beams’ omission came as a shock to Beams’ mother, Sharene, who had flown down from the Gold Coast to watch her son play in the Grand Final.

3AW Football Central

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