Brodie Grundy: Charting a new course

It was a family trip to the Northern Territory that helped Brodie Grundy, Collingwood’s star ruckman and two-time best and fairest winner, see things differently.

“I learned a lot about myself last year; it was a challenging one for footy and for me personally,” says Grundy, 27. “I wasn’t playing at the level people had come to expect of me, or that I had come to expect of myself. Once the season ended, I knew I had to centre myself again.”

Grundy, who lives in Alphington with his partner Rachel – who works as a physiotherapist at the Northern Hospital – says a trip to Uluru this year was a release that worked on many levels. 

“I rang Mum and we hit the road,” Grundy says. “It was the best thing I could have done. To reconnect with nature and gain some perspective.”

In light of Collingwood’s Do Better report released last December last year, and feeling the pressure that his club was under to report structural racism, Grundy turned to family. 

“We have a young playing group at Collingwood who want to do better and be involved in having meaningful change,” he explains. “We want to be part of an organisation and industry that is best-practice and a safe place regardless of your race, religion, sex. We want this workplace to be a really fun, inclusive environment.”

But he is the first to admit that starting a career in AFL is not for the faint-hearted. 

“I know when I started it could be really intimidating for a young person, so you want it to be as inclusive as possible, because that’s when you get the best out of people,” he says. “We see it [racism] and we have to now keep ourselves and the club accountable to these things.

“People often misconstrue me as a serious bloke because I go to university, but we’ve all gotten up to mischief when we were younger and enjoyed being more relaxed. It’s knowing the values of the club and holding one another to account.”

Away from AFL, Grundy has spent the past seven years undertaking a Bachelor of Health Sciences at La Trobe University. 

“My philosophy has always been that I am more than a footballer,” Grundy says. “I have always been a curious person – keen to push myself when it comes to learning.” 

He momentarily entertained the idea of becoming a landscape architect when he was in year 11, but stuck with footy instead. An interest in anatomy and physics led to his degree choice. 

 “I always ask myself what am I interested in? Where can I have impact?  I know I have an extraordinary platform to use my voice now, and being an AFL footballer and combining this with real-life experiences is where I want to get to,” Grundy says.

Now he’s busy undertaking an MBA at Melbourne Business School, plotting a future beyond the field. 

“Being in the hub environment really challenges your identity,” Grundy says of his months on the Gold Coast last year. “It’s in part due to the fact we don’t have any releases away from the sport.” 

He took the hub experience in his stride and learned to surf, but spent most hours in his room wishing he was home. 

“I don’t play video games,” he says. “When I was out of the hub, I was surfing.  And when I was back in the room, I was pretty flat, not having much to sink my teeth into. That’s when I had the idea to take my degree down a business path,” he says. 

Being back on campus this year has done wonders for his well-being. “To be on campus and find happiness with family and friends again has been a good thing,” Grundy says. “And in a world filled with so much negative stuff and still so much uncertainty, I’ve learned to take life in my stride and not worry about things I can’t control.”

Grundy is also a newly appointed ambassador with Wolf Blass, which felt like a natural coming together for the sportsman.

“I don’t drink all the time because I’m a professional athlete, but when I do I want something that’s quality and good for a celebratory moment with family and friends,” he says.

Grundy first moved to Melbourne from the Adelaide Hills when drafted to play for Collingwood as an 18-year-old. He moved in with his aunt in Alphington, and a few years later purchased his first home in the area. He lives there with Rachel and their two dogs, Ava and Sam.

 “I really like the area because it’s close enough to the city but it’s not right in the hustle and bustle,” Grundy says. “But I’d love to get a bit closer to nature with a big backyard, have somewhere to retreat without seeing other houses.” 

His home is filled with pop-art prints, while a canvas he painted with an artist friend sits in the entrance.  A few other precious items on display include an Indigenous Round 1 football and an All-Stars State of Origin one as well. 

He’s got a passion for indoor plants and cosy rugs, and says his knack for home decorating comes from his mother.

“I love a place that’s comfy and warm,” Grundy says. “Rachel leaves the decorating up to me, funnily enough. I like earthy and natural tones and like to check on my plants every day and see what’s grown and have a chat to them.”