JUSTIN Afflick declares "whatever minutes I've got to play I know I can get through" as the Souths forward prepares to defy the odds and continue an unexpected comeback from a fractured patella in the 2023 decider.
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The 29-year-old was a late inclusion for the Lions in last weekend's preliminary final and has once again been named on the bench in Saturday's title showdown with Maitland at McDonald Jones Stadium (2pm).
Afflick spent over 10 weeks on the Newcastle Rugby League sidelines after suffering the injury during a visit to Northern Hawks on June 11.
He admits "I'd written the season off", however, being off duty as a skip-bin driver he kept up his rehabilitation.
More recently he ditched the leg brace, resumed light running and returned to training, but minus any contact. A trip to the physio on game eve last Friday got him across the line.
Missing previous Souths appearances in 2016, 2018 and 2020, either in reserve grade or the casualty ward, only fuelled Afflick's fire.
"I was the sort of player who would come up and have five or six games a year, I've only really cemented myself the last couple of seasons. That's why it means so much and you realise they don't come around very often," he said.
Afflick, a Raymond Terrace junior who debuted at Port Stephens before joining the Lions around a decade ago, also says it's "pretty special" to line up alongside brother and winger Jacob in a Newcastle RL grand final.
"We set a goal at the start of the year and we've pushed each other all season. It's a good feeling," he said.
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Josh Callinan
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury.
