Serious doubt has been placed on Brodie Grundy’s future at Melbourne after the Demons performed well without their trade recruit in Sunday’s win over Richmond at the MCG.
Grundy has been sent down to the VFL to work on his forward craft so he can spend time inside 50 at AFL level, but Melbourne’s attack has vastly improved since his axing, averaging 110.6 points across the last three weeks.
Given Melbourne are beginning to click up front, it’s unlikely that Grundy will be able to earn a place as a forward – particularly as he went goalless and had just 10 disposals for Casey against Williamstown on Sunday.
Although Grundy may not return as a forward, Kane Cornes thinks he should return as a ruckman in the home and away season’s final month to protect captain Max Gawn’s health.
He discussed Melbourne’s ruck dilemma with Nathan Buckley on SEN Breakfast.
Cornes: “All the talk is, ‘Well, Grundy won't play again’.
“I'd be hesitant to say that, because Gawn’s playing time, I think is now an issue for them.
“They can't burn this guy. He's 32 years of age, you can’t run him into the ground.
“He played 100 per cent game time in the last quarter again on the weekend.”
Buckley: “That’s three weeks in a row that he’s done that.”
Cornes: “Three weeks in a row, you cannot burn this guy.
“So, they play North this week, I would actually think about playing Brodie Grundy to give Max Gawn an in-game rest.
“You can't cook this guy ahead of the finals. He is that important to them.”
Buckley: “I get what you're saying.
“But you're a month away from a pre-finals bye.”
Cornes: “You can’t cook him Bucks, you can’t.”
Buckley: “You're a month away from a pre-finals bye, he will be the one that will decide.
“You'll know, number one ruckmen are one of the few players on your list that I actually reckon grow with more work.
“They're not asked to do high speed, bursts out to space. It's a grind position.”
Cornes: “It is a lot of collisions.”
Buckley: “It is, but I think that that is a conditioning element of what they do.
“I think the best ruckmen, they play better with more game time.
“They want to be the number one guy.
“When Max Gawn has got to the last quarters, he wants to play 100 per cent.”
Cornes: “They’re playing North though. If he plays 100 per cent game time in the last quarter of this week, it's ridiculous.
“Who is going to in there to help him if Grundy’s not there?”
Buckley: “Then have a look at playing Brodie Grundy as your sub. Play Max Gawn for a half and then play Grundy for a half and keep him ticking along.
“That's something that the coaching group can go to, but they still have top two in their sights. They still want to get to that.
“You're right about North, it is an opportunity there to look.
“But you’ve still got to win the game.”
Melbourne faces North Melbourne at Hobart’s Blundstone Arena on Sunday afternoon.