COLLINGWOOD star Brodie Grundy might have a career as a host of a gardening show when his football days are over.
With a 96-page graph book, a green thumb, and some extra time away from football, Grundy has been able to completely redesign his backyard.
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"I've always loved design and always really loved art, so when I got this house, I thought it was a really good opportunity for me to put some of that skill and passion into practice," Grundy said.
Grundy sketched his plans in his notebook with the desire to create a space where his dog Ava could roll around in some grass, while also being a functional area for the big man to exercise.
The ruckman's dream, however, nearly turned into a disaster (something most renovators could certainly empathise with), when the backyard almost became a swimming pool.
How did that happen? Brodie forgot to connect the storm water system to the plumbing.
But Grundy soldiered on and the results are spectacular. The most important part of the project was adding some trees, with a mix of ornamental pears, magnolias and star jasmine climbers draped across some black arbor that will grow and "create a really nice evergreen canopy" to give Grundy some privacy.
The magnolias are Grundy's "pride and joy" as he admits he's even a little bit protective over them, particularly when it comes to an unwanted visitor.
"There's this one rogue piece of timber from my neighbour's yard that grows vines," Grundy said.
"It's really invasive and I hate it, so I jump up there from time to time and snip, snip, snip."
Finding joy away from the football field is something Grundy treasures and the 26-year-old has some advice for those who aren't sure what it is that drives them.
"Start looking at the things that make you happy and things that you think about doing when you wake up in morning," Grundy said.
"I encourage everyone to go out and search for what their passions are."
