Latest news with #BrodieGrundy
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Gen Z memes on Grundy's mind ahead of Dees reunion
Two Gen Z memes lurk in Sydney ruck Brodie Grundy's mind: 'lock in' and 'hit the griddy'. The first came after a speech by club great Michael O'Loughlin before the Swans' eventual win over Carlton in their annual Marn Grook match. And the second comes as the 31-year-old prepares for a reunion with competition heavyweight Max Gawn and his former side Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday. Grundy was instrumental against the Blues, winning 47 hitouts to counterpart Marc Pittonet's 24. But it was his fourth-quarter goal that sparked the Swans, launching them ahead for the first time on the way to a 16-point win. "Michael O'Loughlin spoke to us before the game about the similarities between culture and footy," Grundy told AAP. "It was a really inspiring speech. "It was about stepping up when it's your moment and playing your role for the tribe and the team. "Sometimes the game will present a momentum swing, and it's being able to go, 'OK, this is an opportunity now - we need to lock in'." View this post on Instagram A post shared by AFL (@afl) Grundy sensed his moment to "lock in" when he received a pass from Caiden Cleary as he streamed down the right wing in the final term. As his shot sailed through the big sticks, the 202-centimetre tall ruckman bolted to the boundary line to celebrate with fans. "I just saw the goals and I just thought, let's finish," Grundy said. "I didn't celebrate (a goal against Essendon in the preceding round) hard enough - I was nonchalant, I was just cool, so I thought this moment required more. "I was so gassed after the game. The boys were saying, 'you probably ran harder in your celebration than you have all game'." Sunday's clash is Grundy's second reunion with the Demons, after his commanding performance in Sydney's opening-round win last year. Gawn, fresh from inspiring his side's upset win over reigning premiers Brisbane with a monster 46 hitouts, remains the ruck benchmark. "He's been the man for a long time and I love playing against the best," Grundy said. "I really respect every opposition that I go up against because if you don't, you really do get found out at AFL level. "My role each week, I just try and be really process driven. It's an 80-20, like 80 per cent about me and 20 per cent about my opposition." And if Grundy manages to get a goal against the Dees? He'll pull the same TikTok dance move that current Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri did after winning the Miami Grand Prix earlier in May. "I need to do the griddy," Grundy said. Hitting the griddy! 🕺A fine celebration by @OscarPiastri 😅#F1 #MiamiGP — Formula 1 (@F1) May 4, 2025 Swans skipper Callum Mills will play his first game of the season following a foot injury, while star Demons defender Jake Lever is returning from ankle surgery. Sydney have also recalled key forward Hayden McLean, while midfielder Taylor Adams returns from a hamstring injury after a stint in the VFL.
News.com.au
15-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
AFL round 10: Sydney vs Carlton, Brodie Grundy on midfield battle
Swans ruckman Brodie Grundy knows their clearance and contest work will be vital if they're to have any chance of getting back in the winner's circle on Friday night against Carlton. The Swans will have plenty of motivation as they celebrate Marn Grook at the SCG, but the numbers suggest they're in for a tough battle against a resurgent Blues outfit. Dean Cox's side is in the bottom three in the AFL for both first possessions at stoppages and centre clearances. It's a crucial measure in modern footy with the 6-6-6 rule making momentum out of the middle so important to control. Conversely, Carlton is the best team in the AFL at first possessions at stoppages in 2025, while they're also in the top three for total clearances. Sydney's 3-6 start to the season has seen them become the subject of plenty of criticism, including former Saints forward Nick Riewoldt suggesting they had 'lost their aura'. But there remains a belief internally at the club that their best is still more than competitive. While the Blues will be without star ruckman Tom De Koning, Grundy believes that if they can find more consistency, both individually and as a team, the results could quickly turn in their favour. 'For us, it's consistently executing your process, and that's something that we've been, truthfully, inconsistent on,' Grundy said. 'We need to really sharpen that up. In terms of focusing on that as a team, we haven't been looking externally on that. It's coming back with Coxy leading the education as a team. It's internal about how we turn things around. 'If you win contested ball by a fair margin, you give yourself every opportunity (to win). If the results aren't coming and we feel like there's something wrong with our process, that's a whole other matter. 'But at this point in time, we feel like we've got the right game plan. We've got the right process. We just need to execute it for longer.' The Swans are not only backing in their processes, but they're also more than confident that Cox is the right man to lead them out of their form. It's clear in patches that they can compete with the best teams in the competition, including early in the season, where they were arguably the better team against ladder leaders and reigning premiers, Brisbane. But with the pressure undoubtedly mounting on the first-year coach, Grundy admits he's been impressed by the calm that he brings each day to the club. And even as the external noise continues to reverberate, it creates a sense of ease around the playing group. 'He's been fantastic,' Grundy said. 'I can't speak highly enough of Dean. 'The tutelage I received under him last year was the best I've had in my career, I'm so thankful to be up here at the Swans. 'That dynamic for me personally has shifted as he's taken on the senior role. But you wouldn't know that we have been tested as much by the way he leads the club. He has a really selfless leadership philosophy around the club first, team second, self last, really. 'He's continually putting the club first and looking for improvement. I think he brings a really nice, even keel to the week. Even if we lose or we win, he brings a measured approach, which I think the team's enjoying.' If the Swans can string a few wins together in the coming weeks, then they can put themselves in a position for a finals charge. Callum Mills is set to make his footy return through the VFL on Friday afternoon, while other key players like Errol Gulden and Tom Papley have made strong strides in their rehabilitation. However, Sydney will have even more to play for against the Blues as they not only mark Sir Doug Nicholls Round, but also raise funds for the GO Foundation – an organisation set up by former Swans Adam Goodes and Michael O'Loughlin to fund educational scholarships for First Nations' students. 'Being Sir Doug Nicholls Round and the significance of Marn Grook being played at the SCG since 2002 … we're definitely leaning into the next two weeks as a club,' Grundy said. 'From a Swans' perspective, we're so blessed with so many great legends that have paved the way for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players. 'Adam and Michael are pretty central figures at our club and founders of the GO Foundation. We had them come in this week. They've done 650 scholarships across 85 different schools, and this week, they're trying to raise $250,000 for their scholarship program. 'It's celebrating those people that are doing a really important job in terms of connecting more broadly the club, and to the community.'
