DOB: 26 May 1965
Debut: Round 2, 1985 against Hawthorn at Princes Park
Last Game: Round 16, 1994 against Geelong at Kardinia Park
From: Katandra West
Number: 57 (1983 Reserves), 14 1985-1994
Honours
Best First Year Player - 1985
Grand Final team - 1988
Under 19s Premiership player - 1983
Reserves Best and Fairest - 1992
Reserves captain - 1995
Life Member - 1994
150 Heroes selection
Games: 134
Goals: 57
Career Statistics
Wins | Draws | Losses | Winning % |
73 | 1 | 60 | 54.47 |
Statistical categories led:
Most weeks suspended (31)
Debuted in the senior side two years after playing in an Under 19s premiership side, Grinter showed an early flair for goalkicking with five in his third game, but soon became better known as one of the league's most controversial hard men.
After 11 games in his first two seasons he became a regular with 18 in 1987 but missing five games through the first two suspensions of his career. At the end of that season he was the man on the mark that Jim Stynes ran across in the Preliminary Final.
In 1988 he was suspended for six weeks after a behind the play incident where he allegedly struck Terry Wallace with a forearm. It was the first case ever to be referred to trial by video, and the fourth report of Grinter's career. In 1990 he and the Melbourne Football Club were sued for the incident.
In 1989 he was suspended for five matches with three suspended for striking an Essendon opponent and he would be outed three more times through 1992. His last two suspensions cost him 13 matches combined. With his career in jeopardy Grinter switched to attack and found a new lease of life, kicking a career best 21 goals in 1993. It was his first serious stint in the forward line since a surprise bag of four in the 1990 Semi Final loss to West Coast.
He struggled for opportunities in 1994 and only played nine games, and remained with the club as a supplementary player, and captain of the Reserves in 1995.
After leaving Melbourne, Grinter captain-coached New Norfolk is Tasmania between 1996 and 1998, but when he announced he would leave at the end of his final season he was promptly dismissed on the spot. He returned to Katandra West and in a playing capacity helped the side win their first premiership in six years.
In 1999 Grinter joined East Burwood in the Eastern Football League, winning a premiership under future St Kilda coach Alan Richardson in 1999 and served as Melbourne's runner in the early 2000s.
He was later vice president of the Past Players association.
Year | Games | Goals | Brownlow |
1985 | 11 | 13 | 0 |
1986 | 11 | 9 | 2 |
1987 | 18 | 2 | 2 |
1988 | 19 | 0 | 0 |
1989 | 19 | 4 | 0 |
1990 | 13 | 5 | 0 |
1991 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
1992 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
1993 | 15 | 21 | 0 |
1994 | 9 | 2 | 0 |
Tribunal
Match | Charge | Sanction | |
Round 19 1983 Under 19s | Striking | Unknown | |
Round 21, 1986 Reserves | Striking | Unknown | |
Round 5, 1987 | Striking | Not Guilty | |
Round 10, 1987 | Striking | 2 matches | |
Round 21, 1987 | Striking | 3 matches | |
Round 2, 1988 | Striking | 6 matches | |
Round 22, 1988 | Striking | Not Guilty | |
Round 2, 1989 | Striking | 5 matches | |
Round 8, 1990 | Striking | 2 matches | |
Round 8, 1990 | Striking | 7 matches | |
Round 11, 1992 | Striking | 6 matches | |
1993 Practice Match | Striking | Not Guilty | |
Round 1, 1994 | Striking | Not Guilty |
Lists
Tribunal
Media
Canberra Times - 11/04/1989
Canberra Times - 09/07/1990
Age - 11/06/1995
Age - 01/11/1995
aflplayers.com.au - 03/03/2014
Links
Australian Rules Football profile
Demonwiki image gallery
Wikipedia profile