AFL 2024: Brodie Grundy on his morning beach mishap and victory over his former side

Up against his old team, Brodie Grundy was dominant – particularly in the second half. More amazingly, it came just hours after a painful bluebottle sting.

Lachlan McKirdy

@LMcKirdy7

6 min read

March 8, 2024 - 11:14AM

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

Max Gawn of the Demons and Brodie Grundy of the Swans. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

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Brodie Grundy headed down to the beach for his regular morning swim on Thursday. It’s all part of his new routine as a Sydneysider.

Despite noticing some unusual colouring in the water, he went for his dip. It was a swim a blue bottle would quickly make him regret.

“It was f---’n sore man, so painful,” Grundy said. “It’s funny because I was like, ‘There’s a lot of blue things out on the rocks here’, and I thought I’ll be right and I jumped in.

“Maybe, I should get stung more often?”

While he’s learned his lesson in the most excruciating of ways, it couldn’t dampen an incredible first match in Swans colours.

Max Gawn had his colours lowered by former teammate Brodie Grundy. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Against his former side, Grundy played the long game as he ended up dominating the ruck battle against Max Gawn. The 29-year-old finished with 22 disposals, 15 contested possessions, nine clearances and 31 hit-outs.

It’s a testament to his talent that coach John Longmire didn’t even know about his pre-game mishap.

“Did he have a blue bottle sting?” Longmire asked with a puzzled look on his face.

“His second half was huge. You know, he just kept going, kept ploughing through.

“His second, and third efforts, his work around the footy was enormous and you just feel really pleased for him. He’s got that one out of the way and now he can get settled into the season.”

Grundy contributed to an incredible first match of the season for Sydney’s midfield who ended the game well on top of their elite Melbourne opponents.

Inspired by a transformed Isaac Heeney in his new on-ball role, the Swans ended up +11 on clearances and +4 on contested possessions.

“They’re going to be one of the best teams in it, their midfield group is enormous and Max Gawn and those mids are huge,” Longmire said. “So it was a big ask for our lads and I think we had six 23-and-under mids tonight.

“So when you think of that, you know that it’s a great experience for those boys. It would have been a great experience, win, lose or draw. Fortunately, we sat on the right side of the ledger.”

The aftermath of Grundy's blue bottle sting. Picture: Instagram

Grundy and teammate Logan McDonald after the win. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Debuting for his new club is a moment Grundy will never forget. His whole family had come to town, with his mum staying in the much-publicised bunk bed that was put aside for her when the contract was first signed.

But it was the fact his performance showcased his ability that he was most proud of.

“I just came up here (to Sydney) and I just want to be me,” Grundy said. “Regardless of the wins, the losses, the ups and downs, I just want to come out here and play like Brodie Grundy.

“I have total respect for (Max Gawn) as a player and Melbourne as a football club. Again, it was just about me being the best version of me. When I’m doing that I’m competitive, I’m aggressive and I think that’s what I showed tonight.”

It was a similar story for another former Demon in James Jordon. After a quiet first quarter, he injected himself into the game and finished with an impressive 18 disposals and seven tackles.

“I felt like after [the first quarter] I was able to get into the game and push up a bit more around the midfield and I’m taking a lot of confidence out of that,” Jordan said.

It helps for Jordon that he grew up as a Swans fan. Getting to play in front of club legends and a sellout crowd at the SCG is a moment he could have only dreamt of – “It’s quite funny how it’s worked out that I’m in the red and white now,” he said.

But while all the focus was on the two former Demons on Thursday night, that spotlight has now moved on. Their excitement had both piqued for a reunion of old friends, but the focus now is capitalising on their fast start to 2024.

“It’s good to have it in the first round and get it over with,” Jordon said.

“It’s really important to start the season well. It saves you from playing catch-up later on in the year. If we can get some wins against some quality sides early, we’re a young group who thrive off the energy.”

“It’s a long road,” Grundy said. “The road will continue to stretch on, we’re not finished. It’s gonna be a long year and the tests keep coming.”

HEENEY SETS A NEW STANDARD IN SWANS’ OPENING ROUND STATEMENT

The Swans midfield was crying out for someone to step up against Melbourne, and it was their breakthrough Academy star who answered the call.

Isaac Heeney’s mercurial talent has never been in question. SCG crowds have become accustomed to marvelling at the Hunter product’s high-flying marks and vital goal contributions.

But as he returned to the midfield on Thursday night, a position he played throughout his junior years, we got a glimpse of a 27-year-old ready to be a real leader of this team.

The Swans were without Callum Mills, Luke Parker and Taylor Adams against the Demons. Three of their most experienced on-ball players, all on the sidelines through injury.

Throughout the week it has been John Longmire’s youngsters tipped to fill their void. Errol Gulden, Chad Warner, James Rowbottom – a trio of midfielders currently juggling the pressure of being both the present and the future of the club.

But it was Heeney, as well as the lively Tom Papley, who set the standard for their teammates. He finished the night with a new personal record of 13 clearances, to go with 26 disposals, 18 contested possessions and seven tackles.

Isaac Heeney stood up in the middle. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

From the first bounce, he stood in the centre square with more than 40,000 pairs of eyes on him. Alongside him for the very first time was Brodie Grundy. The newest glamour man for Sydney was sporting some extra red behind his ear after a run-in with a blue bottle on the morning of the game.

It was far from the cleanest game from Grundy, but his ability to neutralise the massive threat of Max Gawn made a huge difference. The Swans struggled with their clearance work in 2023. On Thursday night, they won the count by +10 against one of the best midfields in the competition.

The Opening Round concept was billed as a miniature festival of football. While the atmosphere at the SCG held up its end of the bargain, the spectacle on the field left a lot to be desired as the humidity limited any slick ball movement.

But that’s why the moments of composure from Heeney were so eye-catching. Where others were blasting their inside 50 entries, he was able to lower his eyes to find his young talls.

When the pressure was on for Hayden McLean to convert an important 50-metre penalty, he was the first in his ear to provide some calming words of encouragement.

The result is far from the finished product for the Swans and the win papers over some of the cracks for Longmire.

Brodie Grundy starred in his Swans debut. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Defensively, the Swans played with their backs to the wall for a lot of the night. There were some structural problems with Melbourne’s forwards often left on their own as Lewis Melican, Dane Rampe and Tom McCartin had some communication issues as they worked on new combinations.

Up the other end of the ground, it wasn’t a night for tall forwards as Joel Amartey and Logan McDonald struggled to have a consistent impact on the game.

Yet, the efforts of Heeney were the perfect source of inspiration even when things weren’t going to plan.

They gave Warner the confidence to launch from 50 and kick a goal that gave all the momentum to Sydney in the final term. Grundy lifted to have an enormous second half as he dominated the stoppages and the Swans ran away with the game in the fourth quarter.

In the stands, legends of the Swans watched on as the club celebrated its 150th anniversary. Paul Kelly, Michael O’Loughlin, Brett Kirk and Nick Davis just to name a few.

But on the field, it was the kid who grew up watching those same players who stole the show. The perfect story of a local product coming through the ranks to once again star on Sydney’s biggest sporting stage.