Greater Western Sydney’s Brodie Grundy draft blunder could come back to haunt it seven years on
Greater Western Sydney had five chances to draft the ruckman who has been giving it headaches all week — Brodie Grundy. Will a draft blunder haunt the Giants seven years on?
Collingwood
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Brodie Grundy isn’t so much the one that got away as the one Greater Western Sydney turned away.
They weren’t alone. Eleven other clubs passed up the chance to draft the game’s No. 1 big man.
While recruiters don’t have a crystal ball, six of those clubs could be kicking themselves. Melbourne (Jimmy Toumpas), Brisbane Lions (Sam Mayes), Carlton (Troy Menzel), Gold Coast (Jesse Lonergan) and Geelong (Jackson Thurlow) have all moved on their disappointing draftees from 2012.
But for the Giants the decision was as constant as it was costly, with former list boss Stephen Silvagni overlooking the South Australian five times.
Three of Silvagni’s preferred picks — Lachie Plowman, Jonathan O’Rourke and Kristian Jaksch — combined for just 36 games in orange.
At the MCG on Saturday that price could inflate to a place in the Grand Final with Grundy — a dual All-Australian dominator — shaping as Collingwood’s biggest preliminary final weapon.
The ruck hole became such a headache for the Giants that they coaxed Shane Mumford out of retirement last year.
They are 14-4 with Mumford in 2019, but Wayne Carey said on Channel 7 it looked as if the 33-year-old warrior was now running in “quick sand”.
Even GWS coach Leon Cameron conceded Mumford’s semi-final opponent, Lion Stefan Martin, was best-afield at the Gabba.
Former ruckman Luke Darcy reckons Mumford would be such a liability against Grundy that Cameron should drop him and instead use tag Grundy with “aerobic animal” Adam Tomlinson.
The root of the ruck problem traces to the Grundy call.
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So, what happened in 2012?
Some rivals suspected the Giants’ perceived hesitation to draft South Australians helped them rule a line through Grundy.
The Giants have used 50 national draft picks across eight years and taken just one Croweater — Jackson Hately last year.
But GWS insiders quickly dismissed that theory yesterday. Instead, they said the draft mantra early days was to simply stockpile the best kids.
Wind up with a surplus in one position? Who cares — that’s when you trade away for your needs.
A widespread reluctance to use a prized pick on one-dimensional ruckmen — an AFL-wide trend that began in Grundy’s year — helped push the 202cm quasi-midfielder all the way to the Magpies at No. 18.
Touted as a top-five pick mid-year, Grundy fell like a meteorite on draft night.
Previously, rucks Billy Longer (No. 8 in 2011), Daniel Gorringe (No. 10 in 2010), Nic Naitanui (No. 2 in 2008), Matthew Kreuzer and Ben McEvoy (No. 1 and 9 in 2007) all went early.
But from 2008-11 All-Australian selectors exclusively chose ex-rookies, with Dean Cox (2008, ‘11), Aaron Sandilands (2008, ’09, ’10) and Mark Jamar (2010) receiving blazers.
Why pay a high price for a ruckman who will develop as slowly as a bonsai tree when you can grab a ready-to-go-rookie for free?
Grundy — with a dyed a blond streak through his long locks that were flanked by earrings — interviewed differently, too.
When ‘SOS’ spoke to Grundy, the deep-thinking teen turned the tables by asking Silvagni what a one-year-old football club could offer him.
In football terms he was naive, still learning the game.
Grundy had played less than 50 games when Collingwood chose him. Scouts at the former basketballer’s first game, south of Adelaide in Port Noarlunga, were impressed by his athleticism before he’d even touched the Sherrin.
Former Hawthorn recruiter Gary Buckenara was sympathetic to GWS.
Buckenara said Grundy received a tick for athleticism and a cross for craft in 2012, fitting into the second round on his talent list.
But the underexposed talent earned Under-18 All-Australian honours in 2012 and his impact back then mirrors what he’s doing now.
This year Grundy has averaged 21 disposals, 12.2 hit-outs to advantage and 130 SuperCoach points.
In 2012 during the under-18 championships Grundy averaged 15 disposals, 7.4 hit-outs to advantage, 1.8 goals and 130 SuperCoach points.
The Herald Sun’s 2012 draft analysis stated Grundy was the steal of the night: “It’s a wonder (Collingwood recruiter) Derek Hine kept a straight face as he read out the ruck beast”.
Grundy blossomed quickly, and seven years Hine’s Magpies are still laughing.
Originally published as Greater Western Sydney’s Brodie Grundy draft blunder could come back to haunt it seven years on