How would Brodie Grundy fit in at Melbourne?
That is the question being asked after it was reported that the reigning premiers had met with the Collingwood ruckman.
The Demons’ interest in Grundy was reported by Sportsday’s Sam McClure and the Herald Sun’s Jay Clark on Tuesday.
In response to the reports, former Demons captain Garry Lyon and SEN Breakfast co-host Tim Watson discussed the potential of the move, provided youngster Luke Jackson departs the Dees for Fremantle.
“It has been reported that Melbourne are into or speaking to Brodie Grundy about, I would imagine, filling the void that they suspect – you wouldn’t be talking to him if you didn’t think that Luke Jackson is going,” Lyon said .
“Let’s just put that to one side. They might hold out hope that Luke’s staying and on the off chance (ask), ‘Brodie, what’s the chances?’
“How do you see that? Does Collingwood go, ‘If Brodie is going to go somewhere, we don’t want him to go to contend, we want you to go somewhere that’s not going to be a contender against us’.
“What’s your reaction? What’s your first gut reaction to hearing that?”
Watson responded by suggesting it is a clever move for the Demons to sound out Grundy.
However, he does wonder how Grundy would fit in with Max Gawn who is widely touted as the AFL’s premier ruckman.
“I think it’s just smart,” he said.
“A football club losing one of their young ruckmen and replacing him as best they can and as quick as they possibly can. That’s smart, that’s exactly what they should do.
“I just wonder though how he and Max Gawn would work in tandem.
“Because generally there’s one ruckman who is dominant and sits above the other ruckmen, although in Melbourne’s case it’s been a little bit more about the different ways their two ruckmen play and what they bring to the game.”
It prompted a back and forth discussion on how it may play out, given that Grundy is on massive money at the Magpies and how the Dees would navigate that salary as well as how they might deploy him if he were to switch clubs.
Lyons: “There’s also a needs basis that Max has got to go forward to try and clunk a mark which Melbourne’s forwards can’t do.”
Watson: “Has Grundy ever demonstrated that or has he not demonstrated that because he’s been required to play more on the ball as opposed to going forward?”
Lyons: “Well, that’s the thing. I look at it and go maybe they see Max transitioning a bit more to that forward role.
“They would do that with Luke Jackson, but if he goes then they’re thinking Grundy comes in and becomes more the 60-40 ruckman and Max is the 40-60 maybe.
“I don’t know. It was news to me when I read that from Jay Clark, so I’m trying to get my head around it.
“Melbourne, I wouldn’t think, could pay the 950 to a million, whatever Grundy is on.”
Watson: “Why though? Obviously, they would have been offering Jackson a lot of money anyway.
“What would they be offering him? 700 (thousand)?”
Lyons: “Yeah, maybe six (hundred thousand).”
Watson: “They’d have to go at least that deep.”
Lyons: “They’d have to have Collingwood pay some of the deal.”
The situation also sparked chat about Jordan De Goey, who has also been linked with a move away from Collingwood, and whether or not he’d be a better fit for Melbourne.
Lyons: “If you’re a Melbourne fan or a footy fan, what would be better for them? Grundy or De Goey?
“If you were to target a Collingwood person in this instance, which is a better fit? Grundy or De Goey?”
Watson: “It’s a needs basis. If Jackson goes, the need is for them to be able to replace Jackson.”
Lyons: “Then they’ve got a massive need in their forward half.”
Watson: “They have but it might be that player is not available now so they go for the one that is available, potentially, in Grundy.
“They go to the draft and find themselves a young forward.”
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Lyons: “De Goey is said to be available. He’s as available as Grundy.”
Watson: “Do you see him as a forward or a midfielder?”
Lyons: “Between he and Christian Petracca you get a damn good one of both.”
Watson: “He’d fit into that team nicely in some capacity.
“Of the two players, you can only keep one – Grundy or De Goey?”
Lyons: “If you’re Collingwood, I would probably keep De Goey.
“He’s got more strings to his bow (than Grundy). They’ve got (Darcy) Cameron and (Mason) Cox.
“De Goey can go forward or in the middle, he’s a match-winner. There’s a question mark if Brodie can get back to his best from him.
“That’s the way I would be going.”
While nothing may come of the interest, it definitely provides plenty to ponder.
Grundy is sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a stress fracture in his ankle, Captain Gawn is focused on leading the Demons to back-to-back premierships and Jackson is considering his future with the club.
Listen to the chat below:
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