Does Melbourne have a moral obligation to trade Brodie Grundy?
This is the question the club’s list management team will be asking itself over the next month.
The ice cold answer is: no, they don’t. Grundy has four years remaining on his contract and if the Demons wish to hold him to it, they can.
That’s the business perspective. There are clubs that would begin and end the discussion right there.
But there is more to football than just raw numbers. Grundy’s predicament is more nuanced than a typical trade negotiation.
>> Check out the latest AFL trade rumours
Melbourne’s persuasion tactics last October centred around the club’s belief two top-level rucks could operate in the same team.
In Gawn and Grundy, they saw an opportunity to gain a unique advantage over rivals.
By their own belated admission, it has not worked. Gawn has somewhat blamed himself, while it’s clear the Demons now concede their captain’s ruck dominance diminished when Grundy was alongside him.
As brutal as it was, dropping Grundy was the right call after Round 17. They persisted with him as a forward in the VFL, but his former teammate Jeremy Howe and ex-coach Nathan Buckley have both been categoric in their belief Grundy was never – and will never be – a forward.
So now Melbourne has a decision to make. Do they go against the wishes of a well-paid player and hold Grundy, who is two and a half years Gawn’s junior, as insurance for when their skipper gets injured or retires; or do they trade him to a home of his choice? That’s likely to be Port Adelaide, but Sydney are also lurking and in need of a ruck to replace the retiring Tom Hickey.
The correct answer is somewhere in the middle.
The Demons should allow Grundy to walk to a new club, provided they receive roughly a mid- to late-second round draft pick in return. They gave up Pick 27 for him last year.
But it would be far too generous and strategically foolish to trade Grundy to a fellow premiership contender.
If there are only a handful of quality rucks who can challenge Gawn in the AFL – and one of them is Grundy – why on earth would the Demons strengthen a fellow top team?
Surely if Grundy wants to be the number one ruck elsewhere, which is entirely reasonable, Melbourne draws up a list of clubs for the two-time All-Australian to choose from.
North Melbourne won’t contend anytime soon, and may lose Todd Goldstein. West Coast have lost Nic Naitanui. Even Essendon could use another big man following the retirement of Andrew Phillips. Gold Coast and Hawthorn are well stocked and likely not interested, but the latter has cash to spend and could afford Grundy’s hefty salary.
To trade Grundy to Sydney, Port Adelaide or even Geelong is a risk not worth taking when you’re in the premiership window. Morally, it’s all well and good – even commendable – but strategically, it would make minimal sense.
Strong morals don’t win trophies: just ask the English cricket team.
Brodie Grundy of the Demons handballs. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
If the status quo remains, Grundy will request a trade. As part of this process, he has every right to nominate his preferred destination; just as Melbourne has every right to reject the application and, if needed, divert Grundy towards a club of its choice.
Yes, Grundy was sold the one-two punch dream alongside Gawn. But it’s not entirely the club’s fault it has failed. Both parties signed the contract, and in an industry where premierships are the currency, increasing the chances of a rival contender to win one appears, frankly, quite silly.
Ultimately, Grundy is getting well paid to play wherever he goes. VFL football is not ideal – a loan system would be perfect, though that’s another story – but his situation is hardly the end of the world.
Melbourne must be resolute at the completion of the season. If plan A to keep Grundy fails, then plan B should be to trade him to a lesser club unlikely to challenge for silverware in the short term.
Plan C, which will obviously be Grundy’s Plan A, should only eventuate if the trade deal is too good to refuse.
All parties would surely concede this is an imperfect situation which will likely reach an imperfect ending. As brutal as it is, the club has the power.
Using it wisely may be the difference between winning a flag or finishing a close second in future seasons.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Don’t be you should smash em! The first 10 minutes should be a great indicator how far the pies have matured & the flow on effect should propel your team to great things, looking forward to the game should be a beauty!
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Thanks mate . Nervous !
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Good luck tonight, Go Pies :boxing:
Kevo
Roar Rookie
What often gets overlooked is that even in his 2018 and 2019 A.A years Grundy was towelled up in the 2018 GF and the 2019 GF. He's not a natural ruckman and doesn't have a natural ruckman's instincts. At his best he was more of a huge athletic bullocking ruckrover type ruckman. His issue is that unless he really rediscovers his mojo he's not good enough to be a number one ruckman, and generally he's struggles to find a spot for team balance as a second ruck. Ironically he had a good game with Gawn against the Pies in the KB round, and he could be handy in the wet on Thursday night.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
Would it make sense for Collingwood to take Grundy back? They would only be paying $650k over what they are paying now. What other ruckman could they get for $650k?
Skip
Roar Rookie
The Dees will still have to pay if they want to trade Grundy as they have now an obligation to pay an agreed percentage ( it's unknown but probably around 600k) so they would need to find a club willing to pay the 600k or a high pick and Melbourne pay Grundy, say 10% of his salary as well. If the latter happens then three clubs paying the one salary would be a first.
fieldy69
Roar Rookie
I am a Dees fan. The Grundy recruitment was completely strategic. Insurance if Gawn gets injured otherwise Grundy needs to earn his spot somewhere else in the best 22. He will never be a forward but holding this ace will help them to a higher draft pick - I'd think second round. There is no quandry for Dees to resolve, its a win in any case.
Bandicoot
Roar Rookie
Thanks Skip. I assumed that would be the case. I've seen a number of comments re Melbourne paying part of his contract if he went to the Swans for example but why would they? I'd have thought that Collingwood would continue to make that payment but now to the Swans rather than Melbourne.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Yeah was trying to work that out Don. If Pies are paying him $200K per year already and Melbourne $600K then offer to pay $400K of Melbourne’s commitment and bring him back. Win win!
Lincoln
Roar Rookie
These days a player almost always gets to the club he chooses. Making an opposition club stronger is largely irrelevant compared to what the player wants. Melbourne will naturally huff n bluff but ultimately there’s no room for two no.1 rucks in a team and they don’t want to be paying the salary of a disgruntled player languishing in to two’s simply because there’s no room in the one’s for him unless Gawn is injured. IF Grundy tells Melbourne he wants to go to Port or Sydney then trading history over the last few years suggests he’ll almost certainly get there.
Ed Flanders
Roar Rookie
Surplus A grade ruck...that two teams traded out in two seasons. Must be like that surplus A grade sirloin that I declined in favour of the ground chuck.
Handles
Roar Guru
Why does 'try something out for 17 rounds, and be confident enough to scrap it when it hasn't worked' equal 'short sightedness?
Handles
Roar Guru
I'll bet London to a brick the Dees won't pay a cent of Grundys ongoing salary, and they will do parity or better for the pick they gave up. They are in a strong position, a surplus A Grade ruck that only costs 650k.
Skip
Roar Rookie
I believe they are obliged to Bandicoot, as it was Collingwood’s 7-year contract to start with so that needs to be honoured at the moment Grundy is receiving his allotted salary from both clubs and next year it could be three, remembering that he maybe/probably could of stayed at the pies if he had agreed to a pay cut:)
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Now that your boys have cleared some of its financial mess, why don't they ask him to come back on $200k less? Still gets $700k but gets to come back to his mates and play in the ones.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
He plays the occasional good game. At the moment though, he's playing like a VFL ruck and a VAFA forward
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Nic Naitanui always had his measure. He'd probably still sort him out
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Clarkson went to North voluntarily….
Bandicoot
Roar Rookie
Does the current deal of Collingwood paying x amount of his salary still apply if Grundy plays with a different club next year?
DTM
Roar Rookie
I lived in Sydney for just over a year and wouldn't spend more than a few days there unless you gave me a house close to the harbour and a chauffeur. The traffic is horrendous and the people are up themselves (even more so than those pesky Melbournians!). Assuming Brodie is on $650k, he'll struggle to find a place to live within reasonable distance to the SCG. I'm sure he's well set in Melbourne and I can see no reason for him to go anywhere.