Heath Grundy
2006-2019
256 games
24 goals
Premiership Player 2012 

Tradition reinforces values such as integrity, work ethic, and selflessness. During Heath Grundy's formative football years, he played with the Modbury Hawks—South Australia's oldest existing football club—before moving to Norwood, the third most enduring SANFL club.

As he progressed, Grundy’s standing as a junior player of great promise became evident. In 2001, he played in the South Australian Under 16s alongside future Swans teammates Tim Schmidt and Josh Willoughby. Two years later, he toured Ireland with the Australian Under 17 team, played in the state Under 18s, and made his senior debut for Norwood.

In 2004, Grundy played 17 senior games with the Redlegs and gained an All-Australian Under 18 team selection. As the AFL's national draft approached, many astute judges expected him to be selected, but it was in the rookie draft that he found a new home.

"I'd been spoken about as potentially a top-20 pick in both the '03 and '04 drafts, so when I wasn't chosen, I'd almost forgotten about it happening," Grundy said. "A third-round rookie pick to Sydney certainly wasn't expected. I was working at a garden centre and got a text message saying, 'You're going to Sydney', and that was it."

While somewhat shocked by his eventual recruitment, Grundy felt excited by the move. He met Phil Mullen on arrival, in his capacity as the Swans' player welfare manager, and the pair built a great connection, exemplified by Mullen becoming Grundy's manager later in his career.

Playing initially as a key forward, Grundy spent the 2005 season playing in the reserves. He credits this early career period with helping him develop fitness and resilience while building relationships with his young teammates. The bond they forged then helped create an unshakeable connection they'd share for years to come.

Grundy built his form strongly through the 2006 season, and Paul Roos selected the 20-year-old for a debut against Richmond in Round 16 at the SCG. Grundy scored three goals from his 15 disposals and seven marks in an outstanding performance. He also claimed a Brownlow medal vote in his very first AFL outing.

He kept his spot until Round 21 but watched from the MCG stands as the defending premiers lost the '06 Grand Final by a point. Across the next two years, Grundy played eight and 10 games before becoming a more permanent fixture in the side during the second half of 2008, when he switched to a defensive role.

"I was struggling to find consistency and to get any momentum as a forward," Grundy recalled. "I had mentioned that I'd probably be more comfortable playing down back. I'd played most of my best footy as a junior in the backline, and as soon as I got my chance, it felt like an automatic fit."

Swans Hall of Famer Craig Bolton provided a guiding hand in the backline. When Bolton retired in 2010, he said, "Heath Grundy showed last year what he can do, and I think he's going to develop and be the linchpin of this side in the years to come. He's got a lot of potential, and he's a great attacking defender as well. Hopefully, he'll just continue to develop this year."

And develop, he did.

Relishing the opportunity to play regular senior footy, Grundy established himself as a critical defensive pillar, placing fifth in the 2010 best and fairest. "I started getting a lot more confidence. I was injury-free and really training hard. That was a great period of my career, and a group of us started playing a lot of footy together. Horse came in with a new voice in 2011, and it just gave everything a freshen-up."

With Roos handing over to Longmire, the Swans reshaped their game plan while still adhering to the established values and expectations. Ted Richards joined Grundy in the key defensive posts, and the pair became one of the most formidable backline combinations in the league.

Known for his physical strength and defensive skills, Grundy's playing style was characterised by his ability to read the game and make crucial interceptions, a skill that would become a hallmark of his career.

The 2012 season will live forever in the hearts and minds of Swans supporters. Grundy played a crucial role in the AFL's most miserly defence, and after excellent finals wins over Adelaide and Collingwood, Sydney faced Hawthorn in the Grand Final. Displaying his trademark competitiveness, Grundy was among the team's most important contributors to the incredible premiership win.

He shared special moments with his Mum and mentors Michael O'Loughlin and Tadhg Kennelly in the rooms post-match before the well-deserved celebrations took hold. "It's very hard to explain," Grundy recalled. "The whole game felt like a completely out-of-body experience. I was so focused on what I needed to do that when we'd actually won, and it started to sink in, it was just amazing."

Grundy placed fourth in the Swans' Club Champion, solidifying his standing as one of the competition's emerging key defenders. Two years later, the Swans reached another Grand Final, losing to Hawthorn in a disappointing display. By 2016, Grundy played with a genuine edge to his game, which enabled him to play the best football of his career, and Sydney again finished runners-up.

"I always wanted to be a really consistent player," Grundy said. "That year, I felt like I was going to play well each week, and my game had a definite flow. I wanted to be hard to play on, and when you're playing on guys like Nick Riewoldt, Jonathan Brown, or Hally, you have to be mentally strong, and I think in 2016, I was playing my best footy."

Between 2009 and 2018, Grundy played the most matches of any player in the AFL. His longevity—a product of his professionalism and dedication—made him an invaluable member of one of the club's greatest eras. As the 2018 season progressed, Grundy experienced injury and health concerns that severely impacted his ability to train and play, and the hugely popular clubman announced his retirement partway through the 2019 campaign. At the time, he'd played the seventh most games in Swans history.

"One of the things you do when you look at your team is you want to get your back six in order," John Longmire said."  We've been fortunate that we've just been able to grab Heath's magnet and put it up on the board, and he's been doing the job on opposition key forwards for as long as I can remember."

"His athleticism was underrated, and he had the ability to stop the opposition's best forwards and also be able to springboard our attacks. He was a bloke that just went out and did his job every week."

Regarded by opposition forwards as one of the premier defenders of his generation, St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt said, "Every time in my entire career, you came up against him, you knew you were in for a really tough day. He was just such a strong competitor as a player, but he made your life really difficult. I never dominated a game playing on him because he was just such a hard player to beat."

The Sydney Swans remain a big part of Grundy's life, and he regularly enjoys SCG home games with his family. "The club, the people, the culture have given me such a fantastic foundation for my life ahead," Grundy said. "I feel very fortunate to have been given this opportunity. My wife is from Sydney, we've got three great kids and a terrific group of mates, and that's all come from me being selected to play for the Sydney Swans."