Max Gawn in the Triple M studios and Brodie Grundy in Melbourne training kit. Digitally altered image
Melbourne captain Max Gawn took Marty Sheargold Show listeners behind the scenes of the Dees dropping off-season recruit Brodie Grundy today, explaining how the decision was communicated to the two of them.
“Goody (coach Simon Goodwin) brought us both in, at different, not at the same time,” Max explained.
“I almost thought I was getting dropped for a second there when he pulled me in!
“And he explained the forward line situation that is going on at our club, we have been struggling to kick scores.”
Max contextualised the decision by referencing the other tall forwards the Dees have cycled through in an effort to find the right mix.
“We had Luke Jackson leave, [and] in the last seven weeks we’ve dropped Ben Brown, Jacob van Rooyen, Tom McDonald, Bayley Fritsch has gone out injured, Jake Melksham has been in and out.
“So he’s tried a lot of things, the only thing he hasn’t tried is the ruck.
“So when he said it like that, it made sense.”
Max was at great pains to underline that he, Grundy and the club are still committed to the plan of them rucking together.
“We both really wanted this to work, and it still will,” he said.
“I’m still quite bullish it will work towards the end of the year.
“The big men get a lot bigger in those last few games of the season.”
Max also explained that becoming full time front half players isn’t on the cards for either of them, despite the request for Grundy to work on his forward craft.
“One of us won’t just be a full forward for the next five weeks,” he said.
“We’ll still do this 50/50 type ruck stuff… for a while there — apart from maybe the last three weeks — we were both very happy with our performances in terms of being able to ruck 50% and then sit forward and make a contest.
“But we just gotta kick a goal.”
Max Gawn also discussed the possibility of wildcard round, the worst change rooms in footy and more.
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