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📻 IMPORTANT AUCKLAND UPDATE 📻
$50k fine and don’t play: How McGovern almost missed 2018 Grand Final
Andrew Slevison • September 18th, 2025 10:16 am
West Coast’s Jeremy McGovern almost didn’t play in the 2018 Grand Final.
The star defender, who recently retired, copped a heavy knock in the crushing Preliminary Final win over Melbourne in Perth which nearly cost him a spot in the decider against Collingwood.
McGovern had an internal bleed around his lungs and ribs which threatened to keep him out of the biggest game of the year, but the use of varying methods helped prepare him to play.
The five-time All-Australian also revealed that he tried to miss the Grand Final parade to continue his unique preparations and the Eagles were even prepared to part with a $50,000 fine.
“It was internal bleeding, it sounds a bit hectic. It was a cork internally around my organs,” he said on Channel 7’s Unfiltered.
“It was a big haematoma that we couldn’t get out. We tried everything, different injections, and trying to soften it. It couldn’t come out.
“But we had to get it moving otherwise I couldn’t move. (Physio) Steve Gravina said, ‘Have you heard of Wim Hof? We need to try Wim Hof, this is your last chance’.
“As soon as I started (the breathing method) to get my chest and diaphragm moving it started flushing it out and I started feeling heaps better. We were doing that all day, every day and massage, different types of movement. Pool running and all types of things.
“We were doing that before the parade and Steve said, ‘We need the next two or three hours because he’s got captain’s run this arvo and he’s not going to be able to do it unless we keep going with this’.
“It was a $50,000 fine (for not attending the parade), and the club said, ‘No worries, we’ll pay it. We don’t care, we’ll pay it. He needs (to do this) because we want him to play’.”
The Eagles were told in no uncertain terms by then-CEO Gillon McLachlan that McGovern must show up to the parade or else.
“Gill got on the phone and said, ‘If he doesn’t get to the parade you’re not playing’,” McGovern continued.
“So I get a call from Craig Vozzo (Eagles footy boss at the time) who said, ‘Mate, you have to get here now otherwise you’re not playing’.
“I thought it was all good. He said, ‘Yeah it was, we were going to pay the fine but they said you’re not going to play’.
“So I jumped on the back of the car. They were all waiting for me, it was even more embarrassing. I had my sunnies on and the one rule was no sunnies. All the boys were like, ‘The rockstar’s here’.”
McGovern says he was very close not to getting up for the season decider, but admits the decision was basically left to him.
“Really close (to missing). It was sort of no one’s (decision), everyone didn’t want to make a decision,” he added.
“It was pretty much left up to me, really. I did a fitness test and it wasn’t a good fitness test.
“We had to do it in the ‘G down the hallway. ‘Where is everyone?’. Nah, it’s just us.
“I bumped the bag a few times after training because I couldn’t get moving at training and said, ‘What do you reckon?’. They said, ‘We’ll give you to tomorrow’.”
History says that McGovern indeed did get up for the big one and was instrumental in helping the Eagles claim their fourth AFL premiership.
He had 14 disposals, took nine marks and produced six rebounds 50s, and was heavily involved in the final play which led to Dom Sheed’s match-winning goal in West Coast’s dramatic five-point triumph.
