AFL Brownlow Medal 2021: Melbourne captain Max Gawn can follow in Jim Stynes’ footsteps

Where is the smart money going for this year’s Brownlow Medal? Jay Clark takes an early look at the potential leaders and where the best value is.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 18: Max Gawn of the Demons celebrates winning the round five AFL match between the Hawthorn Hawks and the Melbourne Demons at Melbourne Cricket Ground on April 18, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Max Gawn was breathing down Lachie Neale’s neck approaching the halfway mark of last year’s Brownlow Medal count.

Before injuries took hold, the superstar Demons’ big man trailed by only one vote behind the eventual runaway winner after seven rounds in the shortened season.

Fast forward almost 12 months and a similar script has emerged.

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Melbourne’s Max Gawn could become the first ruckman in almost 30 years to win the Brownlow Medal after a superb start to the season. Picture: Michael Klein

But Melbourne’s skipper is in even better form than last year and his unbeaten Demons are flying entering Saturday’s night blockbuster clash against Richmond.

While Richmond champion Dustin Martin is a deserved Brownlow favourite, Gawn is a genuine chance to become the first ruckman to win the coveted award since Western Bulldogs’ Scott Wynd in 1992, and a year earlier one of Gawn’s biggest heroes, Melbourne legend Jim Stynes in 1991.

Max Gawn dominated the ruck battle against Ben McEvoy.

Currently, Gawn leads Champion Data’s Brownlow Medal predictor by 1.6 votes ahead of Western Bulldogs’ ball magnet Jackson Macrae and Martin in third after a sizzling start to the season.

Adelaide’s Taylor Walker sits fourth in Champion Data’s early counting with Swan Luke Parker fifth, followed by two more Demons — Clayton Oliver is sixth and Christian Petracca seventh.

Gawn has spoken often about how much he admired, if not loved Stynes, after the Irishman helped Gawn turn an important corner earlier in his career while steadfastly encouraging Gawn to always be himself.

Big Max leads the Demons to another win:

26 disposals
19 contested possessions
8 contested marks
5 inside 50s
1 goal
9 HTAs
172 #SuperCoach
131 #AFLFantasy

🔥🔥🔥#AFLHawksDees

— Fantasy Freako (@FantasyFreako) April 18, 2021

Gawn has stepped up as Melbourne skipper this season.

So it would be one of the most touching storylines of the season if Gawn can continue his incredible form through to the end of the season and challenge for the Brownlow, after playing one of the best games of his career on Sunday.

We can safely lock him in for three votes in the 50-point win over Hawthorn after taking an equal career-best eight contested marks, the most in a game since Bulldogs’ forward Aaron Naughton in Round 7 2019.

Gawn, 29, dominated the skies, kicked a long bomb goal from 50m and received a standing ovation from the Melbourne faithful when he came to the bench late.

The 208cm big man should have polled in four of the first five games this year and has historically caught the umpires’ eye, racking up 50 votes in the past three seasons.

Remarkably, West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui has polled only five in the same time.

Gawn launches a goal during Melbourne’s last-quarter onslaught against Hawthorn.

For all the chat about the influence of the ruckmen in the modern game, Gawn is as dominant as any man in the caper right now.

Certainly, the coaches agree, after another 10 votes on Sunday catapulted him to a four-vote lead.

Gawn has heard the ruck debate, and is certain there is a big role for talls to play in the AFL.

“If you can get someone like Nic Nat, who is that good at clearances and either getting it to someone or winning it himself then that is a priceless commodity,” Gawn told the Herald Sun.

Gawn has taken his game to another level in the opening five rounds.

“Likewise, if you can get someone like Brodie (Grundy) who is that good at following it up and being an extra midfielder than that is priceless too.

“I view a lot of my game on my marking, and if I can get a lot of marks that is priceless as well.

“Ruckwork is very important and centre bounces are probably the most crucial part of the game at the moment.”

Max Gawn enjoys a goal with teammates Clayton Oliver and Luke Jackson. Picture: Michael Klein.

As much as we laud Naitanui’s tap craft, Gawn has averaged the same number (11.4) of hit-outs to advantage as the West Coast superstar so far this season, but less than Grundy (13.2) who was panned for his early form.

Gawn received his second-ever standing ovation on Sunday.

The first one, he said, might have been more tongue in cheek.

“My last standing ovation was my first game against the Bombers in 2011,” Gawn recalled.

“I missed a set shot with five minutes to get us 19 points up and I got dragged, and I got a standing ovation.

“That was my last one, 10 years apart. But it is great to have fans back at the MCG and packing out the MCC.”

The Demons knocked off the Cats a fortnight ago, but Richmond would be a considerably bigger scalp.

If Melbourne’s lid is still screwed on, it won’t be next week if they can upset the reigning premier on the MCG.

BROWNLOW MEDAL ODDS

Dustin Martin (Rich) $3.50

Marcus Bontempelli (WB) $7

Travis Boak (PA) $9

Christian Petracca (Mel) $9

Lachie Neale (Bris) $12

Tom Mitchell (Haw) $13

Nat Fyfe (Fre) $15

Jack Steele (St K) $15

Patrick Cripps (Car) $15

Jack Macrae (WB) $17

Max Gawn (Mel) $21

Source: TAB

Originally published as AFL Brownlow Medal 2021: Melbourne captain Max Gawn can follow in Jim Stynes’ footsteps