Collingwood will politely inquire about the possibility of removing Brodie Grundy’s salary from its own books as star ruck prepares to move to Sydney, reports The Age.
Grundy is poised to join the Swans during next month’s exchange period – 12 months after his sensational move from Collingwood to Melbourne, despite having five years left on his Magpies mega deal – after falling out of favour at the Demons’ selection table in recent months.
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The 29-year-old has reportedly already met with Swans officials and could be one of the first players to officially move clubs when the trade period opens on September 9.
When Grundy moved to Melbourne 12 months ago, Collingwood agreed to continue to pay a portion of his contract – around $350,000 per year until his deal expires in 2027 – to give the club some salary cap relief.
But The Age reported on Wednesday night the Magpies would ask the AFL if they could remove themselves from the Grundy contract, which would help them free up significant future cap space. The report suggested Collingwood would argue that it’d struck a deal with Melbourne — not Sydney — for Grundy
Sydney and Port Adelaide were initially seen as the two main contenders for Grundy’s services, but the Power earlier this month pulled out of the race. The Herald Sun reported Sydney’s pitch to Grundy – which focused on lifestyle and opportunities outside the game – appealed more than Port’s football-orientated pitch, while the Swans’ stronger draft hand (Picks 11, 22, 30, 41 and 49) appealed more to Melbourne than Port Adelaide’s (Picks 37, 43 and 70).
A dual All-Australian and best and fairest winner, Grundy has played 194 games in 11 seasons.
Originally published as Pies to seek clarity from AFL about Grundy salary