Max Gawn has defended Melbourne’s culture amid off-season controversies

His club has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons but Melbourne captain Max Gawn has defended the culture at the Demons.

Joel Smith has been provisionally suspended after a failed drug test. Picture: Michael Klein

Melbourne captain Max Gawn has backed in the culture of his besieged football club as the Demons deal with off-field crisis involving Clayton Oliver and Joel Smith.

Smith is facing a three-month ban for a positive cocaine test on match day, while Oliver continues to battle off-field issues amid concerning reports about his behaviour.

This masthead revealed on Saturday Oliver and Smith were together on the night the brilliant Demons matchwinner was rushed to Footscray Hospital in an ambulance after suffering a seizure.

Smith has been provisionally suspended, with Demons players summoned for urgent talks by the club’s hierarchy when they return from holidays.

Demons coach Simon Goodwin gave an impassioned defence of the club’s culture at the best-and-fairest night, which has rung hollow given the recent events.

But Gawn revealed he was in daily contact with Oliver and backed him to get through his current struggles, which nearly saw him traded from Melbourne.

Clayton Oliver and Joel Smith have made off-season headlines. Picture: Michael Klein

“I am in pretty good dialogue with him and we talk every day and he’s been at my house for a while so I think Clayton is going really well,” he said.

“I understand the noise that is coming around Clayton could bring someone down but I feel like the support that he has got around him will help him get through it.

“I am certainly very bullish on the culture that we have built over the last three or four years, that it can withstand adversity like this and we are able to get in the top four again like we have in the last three or four years.”

He told Channel 7 the string of events that had occurred were coincidental rather than a sign of a weak culture.

Simon Goodwin had a message for his players at the club’s best and fairest. Picture: Mark Stewart

“There has been some stuff over the last few weeks but I feel like this happens at most clubs. There is adversity here and there. Our adversity has all come at once.”

Smith will face a Sports Integrity Australia hearing in the coming weeks but is expected to serve that penalty over summer and be available for round 1.

Goodwin said at the club’s best-and-fairest the culture would see the club win out.

“One thing that has enabled us to keep showing up is our culture,” he said.

“A culture that has been built over a period of time and is the piece that we will be uncompromising in maintaining and building further to achieve the ultimate success.

It’s up to everyone to keep driving standards and I urge every player here tonight to enjoy the break. But remember, we will be dusting ourselves off and going again next year.”

Originally published as Max Gawn has defended Melbourne’s culture amid off-season controversies