Brodie Grundy is back to playing the best footy of his career. It has taken him five years, three clubs and six different coaches, but Grundy now looks like the Grundy of 2021.

On Sunday, the Swans play St Kilda and Grundy offers a salutary lesson for the Saints.

Grundy was the Collingwood ruck on a big-money, long-term deal whom Melbourne picked up – with a little discount on the money and the trade terms – with a plan to pair him with Max Gawn. It was a flawed plan, and Grundy paid the price. Both Gawn and Grundy were good first rucks and poor forwards, so the time-share arrangement was never going to work.

Brodie Grundy and Tom De Koning going head-to-head.Credit: AFL Photos

Grundy’s best footy was under Nathan Buckley in 2021, but afterwards, especially under Craig McRae, Collingwood evolved what they wanted from their ruck. They wanted their big man to play like Darcy Cameron does now and drop behind the play to take intercept marks and help the defence. Being able to push forward to mark and goal has been a bonus from Cameron.

The fact Grundy was on a big long-term contract meant that, when they were under salary cap pressure, he was a logical part to swap out. So after Buckley left, Robert Harvey briefly coached him, and then Craig McRae, before Grundy went to Melbourne and Simon Goodwin was his fourth coach in short order.

At Melbourne it was quickly apparent the idea of Grundy-Gawn was better than the reality, and he moved again.

Tom De Koning flies for a mark against Zac Bailey and the Brisbane Lions.Credit: Getty Images

The trade to Sydney and John Longmire was a shaky start, but this year under Dean Cox – a former star ruckman himself – Grundy is back to........

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