Sydney star Brodie Grundy has revealed exactly what was said during his on-field exchange with former coach Craig McRae after cameras captured the pair in a heated moment during Friday night’s thriller against Collingwood.
The former Magpie dominated against his old club at the SCG, producing one of the best games of his career as the Swans stormed home from 33 points down to claim an 11.15 (81) to 10.15 (75) victory in Sir Doug Nicholls Round.
Grundy finished with a staggering 34 disposals, 47 hit-outs, 12 clearances and a goal in a best-on-ground display that earned him the Goodes-O’Loughlin Medal.
But it was a curious exchange with McRae during the final quarter that quickly became one of the major talking points from the match.
Television cameras showed the Collingwood coach collecting the ball near the boundary before appearing to say something directly to Grundy as the ruckman chased after the loose ball.
Grundy was seen smiling during the interaction before jogging away, with commentators immediately speculating over what may have been said between the pair.
Grundy dominated Collingwood before explaining the surprising conversation he shared with former coach Craig McRae
McRae approached Brodie Grundy during Sydney’s thrilling comeback victory and cameras quickly captured their animated boundary-line interaction
After the match, Grundy laughed off the moment and insisted there was nothing sinister behind the exchange.
‘He just said, ‘G’day old mate’ … it was nothing untoward, the spirit of it … he just bobbed up right then and there, it was good,’ Grundy told Channel 7.
The moment sparked debate among the Channel 7 commentary team, with Matthew Richardson suggesting McRae may have been trying to challenge his former player during the heat of the contest.
‘I reckon he was saying, ‘gee, Brodie, you’ve got no ruckman against you. You’ve got to win this game with you one out in the ruck,’ Richardson said.
The clash carried extra emotion given Grundy’s complicated recent history with Collingwood.
The veteran ruckman spent just one season under McRae at the Magpies in 2022 before injuries restricted him to six games and ultimately led to his departure.
He was traded to Melbourne before later reviving his career at Sydney, where he has rediscovered the dominant form that once made him one of the AFL’s premier big men.
Friday night’s win may have been his finest performance yet in Swans colours.
Grundy collected 34 disposals and 47 hit-outs while leading Sydney’s stunning comeback victory over Collingwood
Grundy paid tribute to Sydney teammates after winning the Goodes-O’Loughlin Medal in the emotional Sir Doug Nicholls Round clash
Grundy played a critical role in dragging Sydney back into the match after Collingwood burst out to a massive early lead in slippery SCG conditions.
The Magpies looked in control after booting five unanswered goals in the opening term and leading by 33 points before halftime.
But Sydney exploded after the main break with six goals to two in the third quarter as Grundy took complete control around stoppages.
Collingwood’s night unravelled further when young ruckman Oscar Steene suffered what the club fears is a serious ACL injury after his knee buckled in a third-quarter contest.
McRae later admitted the injury forced a major tactical reshuffle that left the Magpies unable to contain Grundy’s influence.
‘It’s not looking good, unfortunately,’ McRae said.
‘The early diagnosis is a full reconstruction, but we’ll have to get scans to confirm all that.
‘Oscar was really holding his own, and we had a lot of ascendancy from that.
‘Not many teams can cope when their ruckman goes down like that against an opponent like Brodie.’
Sydney coach Dean Cox praised his side’s maturity after the comeback victory extended the Swans’ winning streak to seven matches.
‘We’re nowhere near the finished product,’ Cox said.
‘To turn into a team that if something’s thrown, we can adapt and move and do it a different way.’
Grundy was also quick to praise his teammates after collecting the best-on-ground medal.
‘I’m sort of speechless because there are so many players that could have got this award tonight,’ he said.
‘There are so many stars in this team.’
