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), 59 (1984 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)
Recruited after playing seniors in the country at 15, Grinter had a lengthy apprenticeship in the club's lower levels, debuting in the senior side two years after playing in an Under 19s premiership. He played 11 games as a forward across his first two seasons, kicking five goals in his third game, but by the time he became a regular in 1987 he had been moved to defence.
Soon to become one of the most controversial hard-men of the league, Grinter played 18 matches in 1987 but missed five matches of his senior career through suspension. He had a part in the famous end of that year's Preliminary Final, standing the mark that Jim Stynes ran across, costing Melbourne a place in the Grand Final.
In Round 2, 1988 Grinter was suspended for six weeks after allegedly striking Terry Wallace of Footscray with a forearm behind the play. The fourth report of his senior career was the first case ever referred to the tribunal by video evidence. In 1990, he and Melbourne were sued by Wallace over the incident.
Though Grinter was one of his side's most important players he continued to get in trouble with the Tribunal. In 1989 he was suspended for five matches with three suspended for striking, and was outed three more times through 1992. His last two suspensions cost him 13 matches combined. In addition to the suspensions, he was also given a 12 month good behaviour bond by Mansfield Court for car theft after a training camp prank gone wrong.
Grinter was out of favour at the start of 1991 and opened the year in the Reserves. After the Round 2 game, Fitzroy complained to the league about a clash with one of their young players that left the youngster unconscious. The Lions conceded that the bump was legal but complained about Grinter's actions after it occurred. His start to 1992 was delayed by a pre-season knee injury, and in his third game of the year he was suspended for six weeks for striking and didn't play again for the year. 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. It was his last senior season, he remained with the club as a supplementary player, captaining the Reserves in 1995 before captain-coaching Tasmania side New Norfolk from 1996 to 1998. When he announced he'd leave at the end of his final season his was immediately dismissed, returning to Katandra West and helping to them a first premiership in six years.
In 1999 he joined East Burwood in the Eastern Football League, winning a premiership under future St Kilda coach Alan Richardson in 1999 and serving as Melbourne's runner in the early 2000s.
Grinter was later vice president and President of Melbourne's 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 | |
| Round 4, 1992 Reserves | Striking | Not guilty | |
| 1992 Reserves Elimination Final | Striking | Not guilty | |
| 1992 Reserves Preliminary Final | Striking | Not guilty | |
| 1993 Practice Match | Striking | Not Guilty | |
| Round 1, 1994 | Charging | Not Guilty | |
Lists
Tribunal
Video
Notes
Inside Football 13/09/1989 says the five week suspension that year included three weeks of a previous suspended sentence.
Media
Canberra Times - 11/04/1989, 09/07/1990
Inside Football - 12/07/1989, 13/09/1989
Age - 07/04/1991, 14/06/1991, 03/03/1992, 09/02/1993, 24/02/1993, 11/06/1995, 01/11/1995
aflplayers.com.au - 03/03/2014
Links
Australian Rules Football profile
Demonwiki image gallery
Wikipedia profile