Melbourne captain Max Gawn has declared his commitment to playing alongside Brodie Grundy in the AFL despite a starring role as the Demons’ solo ruck.
But two AFL greats believe it is almost impossible to see Grundy successfully returning to the side this year.
Grundy was dropped to the VFL in a last-ditch bid for the ex-Collingwood star to find form as a forward before the finals.
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Gawn, in turn, played all but a few minutes in the Dees’ one-point win over Brisbane on Friday night and recorded 38 hit-outs, 29 disposals and 10 clearances.
But his impact went beyond the sheer weight of numbers as the 31-year-old played a crucial hand in Melbourne’s late fightback.
The skipper admitted afterwards their attempts to turn him into a forward had effectively failed, forcing the coaches back to the drawing board on the partnership.
“I’m still dedicated to making that work,” Gawn told Channel 7 after the match.
“Obviously tonight I went in with a different plan but I think it could be a real powerhouse, myself and Brodie.
“Brodie’s taken it like a man, he’s going to go down (to the VFL) and work as a forward.
“I’ve tried my best the last five weeks as a forward. We’ll get there. I’m not giving up on that.”
Gawn and Grundy battled for All Australian supremacy when the latter played for the Pies, with last year’s surprise trade always raising questions about how they could work together.
“It felt like it was going to be a hard ask right from the start (of the season),” Tigers great Matthew Richardson said.
“I reckon any good ruckman wants to be on the ball.”
Former Melbourne captain Nathan Jones noted the harsh truth of Grundy’s axing – that it offered Gawn the perfect opportunity to become ‘the old Maxy’ and prove he is the Demons’ best hope for winning another premiership.
“We called it prior to the game (and) he delivered in absolute spades,” Jones said.
“How dynamic that forward line looked and then the influence he had around the ground at stoppages with his ability to spend more time in the middle, I think that’s the way forward.”
On Channel 7’s pre-game show, Jones described the call to axe Grundy as “right, bold and courageous”.
“They needed to do it, they needed to explore what the best mix is leading into September,” he said.
“They’ve had some issues with continuity and what that right mix is.”
Speaking after the match, Richardson said it would be difficult for any ruckman to reinvent himself as a forward.
“The other thing is, at his age – it actually probably doesn’t happen,” he said of the 29-year-old Grundy.
“I just can’t see how that works.”
Melbourne have never looked like missing the finals this year but a series of defeats in the past two months left their premiership credentials under threat.
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