Grundy Reveals Craig McRae Said 'G'day Old Mate' — Brodie Grundy Craig Mcrae Exchange
Brodie Grundy said the brodie grundy craig mcrae exchange at the SCG was brief and harmless, after Collingwood coach Craig McRae greeted him with, “G'day old mate,” during the fourth quarter on Friday night. Grundy said it was “nothing untoward” in a match that was already tight and finished with him producing one of the best games of his career.
Grundy and McRae at the SCG
Early in the fourth quarter, Grundy and McRae met near the boundary line after McRae had collected the ball to return it to the boundary umpire. The Sydney ruckman later explained that the coach’s words were exactly, “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.”
The exchange stood out because the two spent one season together at Collingwood in 2022. McRae was in his first season there, while Grundy was in his last before injury ended it early after six games.
Grundy’s 34-possession night
Grundy backed up the moment with a huge stat line against one of his former sides: 34 possessions, 47 hitouts, 12 clearances and one goal. He won the Goodes-O'Loughlin Medal, and his output came against a Collingwood side that he said “really tested us.”
He also said after the match, “Yeah it was great, I thought the boys hung in there... I was so proud,” and added that he told teammates at three-quarter time, “don’t expect Collingwood to go away, I know the character and the spirit they play with.”
Collingwood’s test
The match was a Friday night thriller at the SCG, and Grundy said, “They really tested us, I thought it was a great contest, particularly given the celebration that is Marn Grook. I thought the fans would have been in for a treat.”
For Sydney, the conversation and the performance landed in the same game. Grundy left with the numbers, the medal, and a reminder that a former coach can still lean in at the right moment and keep a boundary-line exchange light rather than heated.
