In his fourth diary entry, Grundy tells collingwoodfc.com.au about his first games at VFL level, how he is coping with living in Melbourne and the way his fellow draftees have inspired him to play senior football.
Click here to read Brodie's last diary entry.
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
Read Brodie's first diary entry.
Read Brodie's second diary entry.
