Grimes, who made his senior debut in the club’s final match of the season against Richmond, says he was surprised by the application required of an AFL player.
“Just the amount that we were around the club. It is a lot different going from the TAC Cup where we train two nights a week and play on the weekend to being here every day nine to five,” Grimes said.
“It is pretty much a full-time job which I didn’t think it would be. I knew it would be more training but I didn’t think it would be that much,”
The19-year-old admitted he struggled to adjust to the demands at first.
“There are a lot of different commitments. Not just with footy but outside the footy like clinics and visiting schools, which I enjoyed. But it hit me pretty hard at the start. I struggled … but adjusted towards the end,” he said.
But Grimes’ main commitment was recovering from a lingering back injury that kept him out of football for the first half of the season.
After returning with the club’s then-VFL affiliate Sandringham, Melbourne was keen to give him a taste of senior action and in round 22 he became the seventh Demon to debut 2008.
“Halfway through the season I pretty much hadn’t thought about it at all because I thought the season had gone for me as far as playing AFL goes. It was good to get that experience under my belt,” he said.
“Dean Bailey said I was probably a little bit underdone but they really wanted to get me out there for the experience which is exactly what it was. It was a great experience and I know what it’s like and what to expect. I can train for that standard because it is a lot quicker than the VFL and a lot different. I really enjoyed it.”
Grimes said he was looking forward to playing a bigger role with Melbourne in 2009.
“Last season my body was in pieces. I had lots of injuries but this year I’m fine and hoping to keep it that way.”
