Melbourne great Garry Lyon says it’s unlikely Brodie Grundy will be at the Demons next season as talk mounts that the ruck might need to move to his third AFL club in as many years.
Headline off-season recruit Grundy was dropped for Melbourne’s one-point win against Brisbane, with captain Max Gawn dominating in the solo ruck role with a brilliant 29-disposal, 39-hitout and one-goal display.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: AFL star Brodie Grundy on shock axing from Melbourne.
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It fuelled speculation Melbourne could end its dual superstar ruck experiment at the end of the season, Grundy having moved over from Collingwood despite being contracted through 2027.
Former Demons captain Lyon was asked what chance he gave Grundy being at the club next season after Gawn’s “staggering” display.
“Unlikely, because he’d need to kick four goals a game in the VFL, and get a spot as a key forward,” Lyon said on Fox Footy.
“The dominant ruckman (Gawn) who had been reduced to a role player … became the dominant ruckman in the competition again in the space of four quarters of footy.
“It was staggering the way it played out because he became everything that he was and hasn’t been able to be because of his selfless approach.”
But moving Grundy on won’t be easy.
7NEWS chief football reporter Tom Browne has revealed fresh details about the former Magpie’s contract.
Grundy was on around $900,000 a year at Collingwood and the Pies agreed to pay a large portion of his contract while he was at Melbourne – somewhere between $250-300,000.
But Browne says, under the contract terms, that agreement exists only between Collingwood and Melbourne and can’t be transferred.
“If he wants to move clubs, the AFL rules do theoretically allow three clubs to pay part of his wage,” Browne said.
“But Melbourne have an agreement with Collingwood only to pay about three-quarters (of his wage, while Collingwood pays the rest) …
“It leaves the Demons exposed, and makes any potential trade very difficult.”
Melbourne’s VFL club Casey played a practice match last weekend and face Coburg on Saturday, where Grundy will likely get his chance to prove himself playing predominantly as a forward.
Coach Simon Goodwin insisted the two-ruck combination could still be a threat in the future but Grundy’s former coach Nathan Buckley doubted his ability to make an impact up forward.
“Brodie has been tried as a forward, he’s not naturally that, his heart and soul is around being the alpha, No.1 ruckman,” he said.
“Max has been the premier ruckman of the last six years, but there’s been a bloke (Grundy) that hasn’t been far off him for that entire time.
“Melbourne (needs) a conversation with Brodie about whether he is prepared to play that role and to be selfless to the point of maybe not playing as much senior footy in the next couple of years while Max is still up and about.”
– With Cameron Noakes
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