Diary of a First Year.....Brodie Grundy

MargOZ · Joined: 08 May 2001 Location: Vic, Australia

http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2013-01-29/brodie-grundys-diary.workspace

By Brodie Grundy Exclusive to collingwoodfc.com.au
2:36pm AEDT Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Brodie Grundy, Collingwood�s first selection in the 2012 National Draft, will be periodically providing an update on his thoughts and experiences during his first season at the Westpac Centre.

In his first diary entry, Grundy tells collingwoodfc.com.au about his start to life in Melbourne and illustrates some of his experiences with the characters in the Collingwood locker room.

On moving interstate and living with three other draftees�
I wasn't really expecting to get drafted to Collingwood. I had only been interviewed by them the once prior to the draft so it was a big surprise but I�m very happy with the result.

Getting drafted with two other South Australian boys has really made the transition a lot easier. I moved over straight away, bringing with me a suitcase of clothes. We got to the house and my "room" was very dull and lifeless, so I�ve been going to the St Kilda and Queen Victoria Markets trying to deck out the new room, complementing it with NBA singlets, posters and vintage comic books.

I�ve also had to make a visit to Ikea but had to use Google Maps to get around because it�s such a huge store! I found some new bed linen to go with the walls (white) and had to make sure my pillows matched. It�s been a good choice so far.

I live in a house with three other first year draftees (Ben Kennedy, Tim Broomhead and Adam Oxley). My room�s the best of the lot. It�s very tidy and my dirty clothes basket is a big cardboard box.

There�s a lot of testosterone in the house, especially when we�re playing table tennis in the afternoons. The emotions run wild. Tim has already broken four bats, he gets right into it.

I consider myself the father figure of the group. I mean, Tim and Ben hardly worked prior to playing footy. I was at university last year so I feel as if I have a greater sense of independence. Sometimes I come home from shopping to find Tim and Adam playing cricket inside the house.

At home, I�ve spent most of the afternoons like a cat just laying about in the sun and listening to the likes of Dallas Green (also known as City and Colour).

On acquainting himself with Melbourne life�
Traffic is a bit of a worry. I�ve set my watch five minutes fast, but I hardly think that�s enough time.

I�ve been down Lygon and Chapel Streets but I�m yet to venture down Bridge Road. It�s definitely on the to-do list. I couldn't believe it when the boys said there was a movie cinema in the "Jam Factory"? I understand what they meant now but I mean, a movie in a jam factory, what the hell?

Parking is horrid, so I get public transport a lot. Being on the tram is like sardines in a can � it�s very packed and the hot weather only amounts to a greater hate of public transport because it brings out a greater volume of body odour after a long day.

On being recognised in public for the first time�
I was at Village Cinemas at Crown and someone excused themselves to speak to me. I mean, I don't think I�m that scary? I suppose it�s a bit of a novelty, and it makes you reflect on when you where a child and you looked up to people. But when you reach this level (keeping in mind that I still have a lot to prove) you realise that these �superstars� are just like everyone else. They just have a special talent, and that�s what I�m trying to embrace and improve on at my time at Collingwood. I�m taking nothing for granted.

On the influential people in his short time at Collingwood�
I grew up going for Carlton, so naturally enough I got along fairly well with Jordan Russell, as he also came from South Australia. Now we talk about how we are �Side By Side�!

It has been pleasing to see the development of guys that I knew before I got drafted, like Corey Gault who I met at the draft camp as an underage in 2011. He has put on a lot of size and that�s something I�m looking forward to doing within this elite environment.

Obviously the training standouts are Luke Ball, Scott Pendlebury and Harry O�Brien who really work hard. Their professionalism and attention to detail is something that I certainly admire and look to learn from.

Dale Thomas and Heath Shaw's bubbly personalities and great senses of humour have also provided not only myself but also the other first year players with many laughs.

I suppose it�s been interesting to see how diverse a football club really is. People have different preparations but it all comes down to what works for you. Pendles (Scott Pendlebury) talks about having a routine, but it�s something I am yet to have set in stone.

When we were in Utah, I had the opportunity to speak to Harry O and we�ve developed our relationship since I�ve been back in Melbourne. He is different to a lot of the other boys, in that he�s very insightful and has what you might call an alternative or spiritual outlook on life. I appreciate his thoughtfulness and consideration on life, not only in footy. Only a few days ago we spent 20 minutes talking about quantum physics, religion, consciousness�all things weird I guess.

The morale and spirit within the group is very strong. There�s always a lot of banter in the locker room, which is always good. I wasn't really in massive awe of the players and the obvious big names Dane Swan and the like. My locker is next to Dane�s, and I always wondered what his tattoos were like close up. He�s got a good and evil theme going on, which works well for him.

On what comes next�
All of the new recruits are very keen to get into it and learn as much as we can. I�m really looking forward to getting a better sense of Melbourne over the coming month.

I�d love to make some friends outside of footy. I plan to finish my uni degree over here, and I want to be a physio. I put a large value on education which is something that I probably took for granted in high school, but I�ve found that being out of school and independent for a year at uni in 2012 will hold me in good stead for footy.

I deferred uni this year to really apply myself here and now, in terms of my footy education, because I�ve only been in the game for a short time and I�ve played probably 60 games in my life, I know I have a lot of hard work ahead of me.

MargOZ · Joined: 08 May 2001 Location: Vic, Australia

http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2013-03-25/diary-of-a-first-year-march.workstation

By Brodie Grundy Exclusive to collingwoodfc.com.au
5:05pm AEDT Monday, March 25, 2013

Dear Diary,

Since we last spoke, I've put on four kilos and am feeling more confident in myself.

I'm coming to terms a bit more with the monotonous nature of AFL life which has enabled me to be more organised around my football.

I suppose a big learning curve has been the amount of scrutiny and pressure that the playing group and coaches put on you to get the most out of yourself. Craig McRae (Head of Development) explains it as "tough love", as the club's objective is for you to play good footy. It rewards you for the times you excel and gives you that "tough love" for the times you do not meet the club's core values. What I have learnt is that everyone at the club is here to help you, and that any feedback you receive is never personal.

The most important value I have learnt about is "Side by Side", which is evident in the strong culture of the club and how even though I have been in rehab with my injury I have still felt 100 per cent involved.

Every morning, it's either 'Daisy' or 'Swanny' keen to see me out on the track. Dane, a number of times, hasn't been afraid to let his thoughts be known. He'll say: "Oi, big boy! When are we going to see this giraffe have a trot out on the grass?" I guess it's comments like that, no matter how silly they may be, that continually spur you on to fast track your rehab.

Last week was my first running session out on the track in roughly three months. I have been privileged at the club to have access to such outstanding facilities and I believe this is a reason as to why players always get the best out of themselves here at Collingwood. There are no excuses.

For those of you who aren�t familiar with the AlterG, or the "Ali-G" as it's known as by the playing group, it is an anti-gravity treadmill that has empowered me to run at, for example, 70 per cent of my body weight. This has been really useful for my rehabilitation process as I am able to attain the same conditioning component without the same physical loading through my spine due to body weight (having put on four kilos makes a big difference haha!).

So from here on in, I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I have been working hard with the physiotherapists, as well as the strength and conditioning coaches (notably our Rehabilitation Specialist Chris Seville) to get stronger and mould myself into the same physical stature as Darren Jolly and Ben Hudson.

The first year group has been lucky enough to spend some time outside of the football bubble where we can get away and bond more intimately about where we have come from and where we hope to go.

This year's camp was based in Mansfield, which coaches also attended including 'Bucks'.

It was great to see some of the coaches outside the confines of the football environment and converse about things non-football such as music and family.

One highlight of the trip was hiking up the West Ridge of Mt Buller which took a strenuous three hours. Something that has helped me with being injured is having some sort of understanding about the human body and myself and the Doctor (Peter Bacquie) lagged behind the group talking about anatomy and physiology.

After the hike up the mountain, there were no toilets and Ben Kennedy was struggling, so, yeah, you get the picture...

Later on, as the sun was at its peak, baked by the scorching heat the group took a downhill bike trail that went for 10km down the other side of the hill towards the town. Downhilling was a hobby of mine growing up back in the hills of Adelaide so I really enjoyed the experience and it was pleasing to go on a trail I had never been on before.

Our tour guide said to make sure we stay together, but I just couldn�t help myself and rode off and left the group in the dust, flying over boulders, smashing through creeks and ponds�until I got a puncture - that sucked. At least then I was able to embrace how beautiful the Victorian countryside is, compared to the industrialised concrete jungle of Melbourne City. It reminded me of a poetic piece I wrote in high school.

Back at home, I have now moved out of the house I was sharing with Tim Broomhead, Ben Kennedy and Adam Oxley and have moved in with my Auntie who I had a good relationship with before I got drafted, having came over to Melbourne several times a year during my time playing basketball. I'm still not too far from where I was living with the other boys originally, but it has meant that I have been a lot more organised and independent.

MargOZ · Joined: 08 May 2001 Location: Vic, Australia

Brodie Grundy, Collingwood's first selection in the 2012 National Draft, will be periodically providing an update on his thoughts and experiences during his first season at the Westpac Centre.

In his third diary entry, Grundy tells collingwoodfc.com.au about how his first ANZAC Day as a Collingwood footballer and provides supporters with an update on his progress on the training track as he overcomes a back injury.

Hi everyone,

Since my last diary entry, I have been nearing the end of my rehabilitation and I experienced my first ANZAC Day as a Collingwood player.

On the day before the game against Essendon, all the new recruits went to the Shrine of Remembrance for a tour. It made me remember the time I went to Gallipoli two years ago. That was sick.

Over the past couple of years I have developed a more profound meaning towards ANZAC Day and have come to understand its importance and relevance to the modern day Australian.

I have been privileged to visit ANZAC Cove and Lone Pine in Gallipoli which was an experience of a lifetime and one that I cherish as a reminder of how lucky we are to live here in Australia.

When the Last Post played at the MCG I watched the boys lock arms with mateship and I stood there, numbed, and reflected on ANZAC Cove.

It is a place where my bones were chilled not only by the cool spring breeze that swept over the ceremony but also by the eerie nature of where our ancestors once fought for us.

I wandered down onto the beach after the sun rose in the misty dawn and gazed out into the horizon and imagined the ships anchoring and the troops marching in. I could visualize the ghosts galloping through the water with their bayonets raised. The wind came sweeping in off the shore and it was as if I could feel the ANZAC spirit run straight through me. It was quite profound.

Climbing up the face of the mountain side, with the shrubbery overlapping the path that was made all those years ago, it was easy to imagine how difficult it would have been to take control over the Turkish.

As it was spring at the time, flowers bloomed amid the rough terrain and it stood out to me as strong symbolism of regrowth and new life, as a person from the 21st Century walked in the ANZAC�s footsteps and climbed to the mountain top.

Once we reached the apex of the hill at Lone Pine, I looked out upon the Cove and reflected on the adventure that these soldiers had embarked on.

Back at the Westpac Centre, it has been clear that there is a distinct difference between what we do during pre-season training compared to what happens during the premiership season. Our training is more intense, the volume has decreased and the focus is directed at skill execution and how we want to move the ball both offensively and defensively.

I have been doing full training for about four or five weeks since I graduated from the rehab group. I�m not oblivious to the fact that I need to continually work on building �my engine� (aerobic fitness).

I am aiming to make my VFL debut this weekend against Essendon. On the weekend I watched the VFL team beat Geelong and did some stats with Lachlan Keeffe where I focused on our inside 50s. I enjoyed watching the boys get the win and I can�t wait to get out there with them this week.

CYA NEXT TIME! Very Happy

http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2013-05-21/diary-of-a-first-year-part-three

MargOZ · Joined: 08 May 2001 Location: Vic, Australia

http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2013-06-20/diary-of-a-first-year.workstation

20th June 2013

Hi Magpie fans,

This morning I was woken by a ray of sunlight streaming through a gap in the curtains. Being my day off this was particularly frustrating as sleep-ins are scarce enough. I could see the air particles dance in delight amid the morning light and this gave me the inspiration I needed to get up, walk to the local coffee shop and begin my day.

Since we last spoke I've been getting out of the house far more, going out to cute little cafes in the local area and seeing a bit more of Melbourne. This has been partially due to the fact that I've been catching the train to and from training, and in the early stages falling sleep, missing my stop and ending up cold and alone out in the suburbs.

I've also been able to get a glimpse of the subway street art; something that interests me being an arty type myself and besides, it gives you something more than just being an audience to the robotic nature of people on public transport.

I have played four games of footy in the VFL, all of which have been great games besides the disheartening 90-point loss to Casey the other week.

The first few matches I have been playing up forward as a deep target and rotating in the ruck. I have found this a challenge as I have played few games as a forward, but I am working hard with the development team to improve that area of my game.

In my first game against Essendon I came on in the second quarter raring to go and was able to take a couple grabs up forward and lay a few strong tackles. I didn�t want to put too much pressure or expectation on that game personally as it was my first since 2012. Since that game I have been working hard on my kicking and fitness so I am able to find some consistency and be able to run out games stronger.

Against Casey I started the game in the ruck and loved being able to get my hands on the ball early and working hard to give the midfielders first use, an area of my game I pride myself on.

VFL has been a big step up from under 18s. It is a lot more contested and transition is very quick. In contrast to the SANFL thus far I would say that SANFL is a little bit harder due to the bigger bodies.

It was great to watch guys like Tim Broomhead, who I arrived at Collingwood with from South Australia at the end of last year, back up with another strong performance after thriving in the muddy conditions at Preston Oval. The one thing I love about Timmy is that he is a smooth mover and although he has a light frame he is able to win his own ball in a contested situation. It was fantastic that he got recognised for his efforts when he was named as an emergency against the Bulldogs.

Having said that about Tim, it has been a great strength of our team and a testament to the development coaches that we have been able to have so many young players step up into the seniors and play some key roles such as guys like Ben Kennedy and Kyle Martin.

I know I have a lot of hard work and development ahead of me but seeing these boys play, it just drives you even harder. I just hope my opportunity doesn't lie too far away.

For the bye I'm heading back home to Adelaide and looking forward to catching up with friends and family. I�ll probably spend time down at the beach if the conditions permit and play with my brown and white border collie Sasha, who I miss dearly!

For the second half of the season I'm hoping the boys get the win against Port Adelaide and we continue to climb up the ladder. I�m also looking forward to stringing a few consistent games together in the VFL and seeing if Ross and Rachael ever get back together in Season 5 of Friends...

Until next time,

Go Pies

MargOZ · Joined: 08 May 2001 Location: Vic, Australia

http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2013-08-09/diary-of-a-first-year

In his latest diary entry, Grundy provides collingwoodfc.com.au readers with a unique insight into his debut against Greater Western Sydney and the contrasting emotions that were involved in one of the most momentous occasions in his young life.

9th August 2013

I took a flight home over the mid-season break, determined to return a more positive and ambitious footballer. I vowed to be in the senior selection mix when I got back.

Over the break, I thought of the opportunities that lie ahead and the different paths my football season could go. As Harry O once told me, "you create your own reality". At first this didn't mean much to me, but now it resonates strongly with me.

Having low confidence at the start of the year, missing the pre-season and not being a part of the team, I wallowed in a place where I questioned my worth and ability.

After returning home from Adelaide, I decided to change my frame of mind. I filled my room with positive affirmations and stuck some in my locker, too, reminding me of what others had seen in me to call out my name in last year�s draft, reminding me of which path I wanted to follow. All of these things came together, crystallized, if you like, in the target of playing against Greater Western Sydney in round 18. This was my immediate destination.

The journey began in the altitude room on a Monday morning where I found myself doing extra sessions two to three times a week to improve my fitness. I was also doing extra touch and taking more care in opposition analysis. I was able to run out games stronger and have more of an influence for longer in games. This was evident in my performances against Box Hill and Geelong's VFL team.

Before I knew it, Bucks called me into his office on the Thursday before the GWS game to tell me that I would be playing my first game that week.

Obviously the first thing you want to do is make an impression when you get into a new environment, especially here at Collingwood.
I had wanted to show my worth immediately but was hindered by my back injury. I had set myself back then to play four games in my first year, as rooming with Darren Jolly in Utah I had got to know that he had played that amount in his first year (while playing for Melbourne).

My debut against the Giants was the first time I had run through a banner, or run alongside Pendles and Swanny on the MCG. It was a surreal experience � I couldn't get the smile off my face. However, smiles were scarce in the change rooms at half time. To be honest I did not expect to be down at the main change, nor did anyone else.

The third quarter started with a bang as we scored three straight goals out of the centre. Adrenaline surged through my veins as the roar of the Collingwood faithful echoed chants throughout the �G, which spurred the team on to tackle harder, chase quicker and jump higher.

After the game a sense of satisfaction covered me, quite like the Powerade in the winners circle. But nothing could beat the satisfaction I felt when I saw my family and friends in the change room after the game. Particularly my Nan, who had been in hospital the week prior, and my Pa, who said he "can now die a happy man". He even wore his father�s cufflinks (his father was a Collingwood man), saying he wanted to bring his dad along to the game too.

The cheer of the crowd was nothing compared to a week later.

Rucking against Patrick Ryder and Tom Bellchambers was a weird feeling, as I had looked up to them in their style of play. �Nek minute� I was starting in the centre in front of 70,000 about to go to war against them.

Even now I often think how quickly your dimensions can change, especially in the footy world. It wasn't that long ago I was watching Dustin Fletcher play his 350th game and I found myself one-on-one deep with him in the four quarter on Sunday.

By the way, I�m up to Season Nine in Friends. I can�t believe Ross and Rachel have had a baby, who would have guessed it?