Brodie Grundy at centre of Demons dilemma after controversial ultimatum
After the Demons dropped the ruck recruit to the VFL, speculation has swirled around another potential Brodie Grundy trade.
Melbourne's off-season acquisition of Brodie Grundy was heralded as an absolute steal for the 2021 premiers, but now the Demons face speculation that Grundy could be moved on once again, after being dropped ahead of the round 17 win over the Brisbane Lions. Grundy arrived at the Demons after Collingwood decided the former All Australian represented too big of a salary cap hit, copping criticism in the process after Grundy stated he would have wanted to be a one-club player.
The ruckman was dropped as the Demons publicly stated they wanted him to hone his craft as a forward - despite having played the majority of his career in the ruck. An early season injury to Max Gawn gave Grundy a clear runway to start his Demons career on a high, but the return of the premiership big has ultimately seen Grundy squeezed out.
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Melbourne copped criticism from various AFL commentators over the move, and now it seems they could have something of a fight on their hands if they want to keep him on their list next season. Collingwood is already paying part of Grundy's salary this season, a situation Gerard Whately believes could be passed on to the Demons.
“I see him at a third club next year,” he told SEN’s Crunch Time after Gawn put on a masterclass in Melbourne's one-point victory over Brisbane last Friday. “He’ll be getting paid by Collingwood, he’ll be getting paid by Melbourne, but he’ll be playing first ruck somewhere else.”
Port Adelaide have emerged as a contender for Grundy's services, an interesting development given the emerging rivalry between the two teams, centred on the Power's use of their 'prison bars' jumper that has been the source of much consternation between the two clubs. Meanwhile, Grundy has embraced the task of spending more time up forward, despite his mobility around the ground being arguably his biggest strength over the years.
Brodie Grundy open-minded after VFL move
Grundy said he would have a 'red-hot crack' at doing so in the VFL in the coming weeks, however former GWS Giants coach believes the Demons would be well-served by keeping the former Magpies as insurance against a potential Gawn injury. It's difficult to identify a more like-for-like replacement for Gawn around the league, with Cameron believing the Demons would be well served to suck up the roughly $500,000 a season cap hit in order to keep the 29-year-old on the list.
“What happens if Max Gawn gets injured next week?,” Cameron said over the weekend. “Going into a finals campaign, you’ve got a $500,000 player sitting there ready to go. That’s why I look at that depth chart.
“Grundy has to go back and play some footy as a forward, Melbourne have outlined that … and I think it’s a really good plan, and it’s a bold plan, and I applaud them for doing this. We might see it work because right now, I don’t see a key Melbourne forward jumping out and saying ‘pick me’.
“If he gets going and learns to be competent as a forward as well as a back-up ruck, and Max takes up his true position as we saw last night, then in three or four weeks time we might see it as a win.”
Demons keen to explore Grundy's forward line potential
Melbourne have been keen to give emerging forward Jacob van Rooyen as much time as possible to develop, with the 20-year-old showing plenty of promising signs, despite some missteps. He didn't have his best game against the Lions on the weekend, but head coach Simon Goodwin said he backed the trip of players to find the right balance.
“We speak about Brodie and Max as the combination, and I want to go on the record here and say we love their ruck combination,” Goodwin said. “But one thing we’re not going to do as a footy club is leave any stone unturned in getting better, and we want more impact forward of the ball. The only way we’re going to do that is to expose them for longer.
“So, part of the plan with Brodie is to expose him at VFL footy ... where he’ll play purely as a forward, and we will continue to assess it like that. We think we can turn that combination into a threat moving forward, and we’re going to work to do it – and it doesn’t have to be at AFL level.”
Goodwin has been quick to praise Grundy for his attitude upon arriving at the club. He said that while there was no denying Grundy's string form as a dedicated ruckman, that there was potential in him moving up forward alongside Van Rooyen.
“He understands he’s in good form in the ruck, but he also knows that we’ve got a responsibility as a club to get better, and part of getting better is that forward craft, and he needs to do it," Goodwin said. "He’s embracing it, he wants to do it, and he wants to be part of it.
“He’s an important part of our footy club for not only the short term, but the long term. He’s a big part of us moving forward [but] we’re not going to sit here and say we’re the finished product.”
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