Former Collingwood recruiter Matt Rendell admits he is worried about the club’s strategy regarding Brodie Grundy.
The All-Australian ruckman continues to be linked with a trade period move to Melbourne with the Magpies believed to be willing to pay up to $300,000 of his reported $1 million annual salary.
The situation is made more intriguing by the fact the Pies are expected to bring in Dan McStay from Brisbane on a reported $600,000 per year contract.
If Grundy were to leave, the Pies would dump up to $700,000 of his wages from their salary cap, but would immediately take on McStay’s contract which would only be a small win.
As a result, Rendell cannot quite work out why Collingwood’s GM of football Graham Wright and recruiting manager Derek Hine would be looking to move Grundy on, particularly when his absence was felt in the finals series.
“I’m really worried about this Grundy stuff,” Rendell said on SEN’s Dwayne’s World.
“I can tell you right here, right now that if Grundy played in both those finals, Collingwood win both of them (against Geelong and Sydney).
“He would have been the difference playing on (Rhys) Stanley and against (Tom) Hickey with his aggression at the ball. He would have been the difference to win those two games.
“So be careful what you wish for here. I can’t work out how you could bring in McStay, even if he’s on 500 thousand (at the least) and you get 700 (thousand) of Grundy’s out, that’s 200 thousand difference between Grundy and McStay.
“It doesn’t make sense to me. There must be something to this that we don’t know at the moment and hopefully we do find out.”
Rendell admits he is not fully across the inner workings at the Magpies at this present time, but does have a theory as to why the club might be prepared to give Grundy up.
He also suggested that the Pies may not be as keen on McStay now as they might have been earlier in the year.
“There’s got to be something else around the money,” he added.
“I know Grundy is not a great leader, he’s never been in the leadership group, he’s not captain material but he’s blinkered in his approach. He’s first in and last out at the club, he has been since day dot which is a credit to him and has made him into the player he is.
“But he doesn’t offer anything in the leadership area and maybe that’s their worry that they’re paying someone so much money and he can’t even get in their leadership group.
“I’m really worried that ‘Wrighty’ and Derek Hine might be making their first big error.
“They would have signed a heads of agreement with McStay right at the start of the year, so they probably didn’t see their season coming and how it was going to turn out.
“You’re committed to that. McStay would have been and certainly Collingwood would, but I reckon if they could have backed out they would have backed out.”
Rendell also touched on Hawthorn midfielder Tom Mitchell and Collingwood’s apparent interest in him.
Again, he doesn’t understand the club’s reported pursuit of the Brownlow Medallist if it comes at the expense of Grundy.
“My point is if McStay is coming in on say 500 or 600 (thousand) and 700 (thousand) of Grundy is going out, it’s got nothing to do with salary cap,” he added on SEN’s The Macca’s Run.
“So what has it got to do with? Don’t tell me it’s making room in your salary cap unless you’ve got someone else coming that nobody knows about.
“So we’re bringing in Tom Mitchell for Brodie Grundy? We’re bringing in Mitchell for Grundy? Please.
“Tell me this isn’t happening at Collingwood. Don’t tell me they’ve done so many good things right in the last year and they’re going to stuff up this trade period.
“Surely not.”
There is also a bit to play out with Jordan De Goey as Collingwood prepares to navigate an important trade period for the future of the club.
DE GOEY’S COLLINGWOOD SITUATION “MORE PESSIMISTIC THAN EVER”