GRYAN Miers wasn't supposed to be out there on Friday night. He thought his season was over when he booked in a knee reconstruction with renowned surgeon Julian Feller in early April after a scan over Easter revealed a partially torn ACL. 

But instead of watching on from the Ponsford Stand five months on from surgery, Miers helped book Geelong's flights to Perth next weekend with a defining elimination final performance against Carlton in front of 96,860 people at the MCG.

The 27-year-old looked done at Easter. He struggled to train or play through the pain. The scan took a mental toll. Then he moved on, found a way to cope and has played 18 more games since then. 

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Friday night was the best of the lot.

Miers changed the game in the third quarter with two crucial moments that swung the momentum – both resulted in goals – before finishing with 24 disposals, 12 score involvements and two goals. 

"It [the reconstruction] was booked in, and it's still on the cards, if I'm being honest; I'm not sure if it could give way at any stage or if it keeps going; I'm just going day by day with it, not looking forward to anything else but training Monday and then hopefully next week and then keep going," Miers told AFL.com.au in the rooms after the win over Carlton.

"So riding the momentum of it. It hasn't let me down yet and I've only been getting better, so fingers crossed."

Miers found a routine that worked with the high performance team inside GMHBA Stadium. Extra physio was needed, along with work with an external chiropractor. But given the nature of the issue, it was just as mentally draining as physically.

"Yeah it definitely was, especially when the form dropped off. It was difficult to know am I doing the right thing for myself short-term or long-term? The team wasn't in great spirits either. We were losing and I was playing VFL and I was second guessing myself," Miers said. 

"But I knew that I would rather have the opportunity to play tonight, basically, and play in finals footy than give away 12 months. I thought I'd rather get it wrong giving myself the opportunity so it still could go wrong, but it's all worth it for what I've been able to do over the last month and give myself the chance over the next three weeks."

When Miers' form drifted, the 2022 premiership player was sent back to the VFL for the first time in a long time, where he spent a month across June and July, reigniting his season on the Gold Coast against Southport and against Frankston in Frankston. 

"I just took it in my stride," he said. "I thought it's an opportunity to get my game right; it's an opportunity to play with the VFL boys who are in great form. And then I think that playing VFL isn't embarrassing or anything. It was a time for me to go back, get my game humming. It didn't matter that I wasn't playing AFL at the time. I wanted to play AFL finals; it wasn't about just getting to that each week; it was about building my game, getting it right."

On Friday night, Miers changed the game with two crucial moments in the space of five minutes after half-time. The first found Oli Wiltshire who found Ollie Henry inside 50. Goal. The second was a goal off Miers' boot from outside 50 on the run. 

"Yeah, that felt good," he said. "That's finals footy in those moments where you can the 12-point plays; one can go sometimes the other way and they'll score versus when you score, so you've got to get those moments right. And that's what you train for all year, for those moments to get them right."

After kicking only four goals in the first half and just hanging in at times, Geelong kicked six goals to two in a third quarter blitz. While Miers got it done playing between the arcs, Wiltshire was just as impactful, producing the best game of his career in his first final after being recalled for game No.17. 

Wiltshire mastered the conditions with his deft kicking resulting in four goal assists off his right boot, among 12 score involvements and 22 disposals. 

Geelong plucked him directly out of Barwon Heads a few years ago and the 23-year-old emulated the form he showed in the Bellarine Football League when Stephen Wells and Andrew Mackie went and scouted him.  

"It was so awesome seeing him grow; these are the games that you want them to perform in; I don't really care if you perform the last six weeks; I want you to perform today; Oli did that so well. He was so impressive," Miers said.

"Hopefully he can build on so much confidence from that into the future and the rest of his career because I loved playing with him throughout the year, but even more so tonight."

Most people would be entering the second half of rehab right now, but not Miers. He knows this option isn't for everyone, but it is working for him. And others. 

"There was actually a local footy player that reached out a few months ago, so I sent him everything I was doing. He wanted to get back for his Grand Final, which was pretty awesome. He sent me a photo last week of him with a medal playing on a partially torn ACL. Unfortunately, his went incorrectly on the day and he did some more damage," he said.

"But I think for some people, especially in my case, I don't have any other injuries; I don't have much of a history; it is definitely a possibility and if people reach out I can at least say that what I've done and they can make up their decision, and I think it's a possibility for them [to consider this avenue]."

Miers already has a premiership medal to his name. Now he is a game closer to another one after a statement performance at the MCG.