Max Gawn reveals chick flicks, same foods, putting clothes on slowly all part of pre-game routine

HOW does Max Gawn fire up for a game? Not the way you would expect. And he reveals what AFL players are really doing when they are out on the MCG an hour before the bounce.

Max Gawn hits a pack of Essendon defenders.

GAME day.

There’s been five months of preparation through summer; practice matches, meeting after meeting and ice bath after ice bath.

There’s been PBs in the gym and PBs at “the Tan”. You critique training like it’s a game because there is nothing else to critique.

All this to get to the best day of the week. We only have 22 of them — hopefully 26 — where you’re able to do what you get paid for.

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The other 330-odd are all for this. It’s not as hardcore as an Olympic athlete who trains for four years for a 10-second event, but it’s still relatively insane.

Which is why we, as players, can go insane. Only 22 of the club’s 45-odd players even get a chance on the big stage each week. Some of us only get one for the year, while others obviously get none.

Max Gawn wins the tap over Todd Goldstein. Picture: Michael Klein

My insanity revolves around my pre-game rituals and preparation for this magic day.

For me, this process starts the day before, as it probably would for most players.

There’s an early-morning training session followed by lunch at the same Balaclava cafe with the same five teammates — Jordan Lewis, Michael Hibberd, Jake Melksham, Nathan Jones and Bernie Vince.

On the way home from lunch I stop at Coles and always attempt to park in the same car park. By 2pm I’m home and I’m not moving until 5pm when I take the dog for a walk to the local park with a tennis ball.

I practice my forehand for 30 minutes while the ball-obsessed border collie watches in the hope that I miss the ball and he can retrieve it.

The lamb salad dinner doesn’t change and it’s followed by the same Bircher muesli for dessert and then sleep.

Game-day morning consists of the same breakfast — more Bircher — and similar timings for my strong three-quarter lattes.

Then we enter probably the most disturbing part of my pre-game routine — I watch an early teen chick flick. My regulars would be New York Minute with the Olsen twins, Freaky Friday and Cheaper By The Dozen.

Arrival time for a 1.10pm game is 11.10am. I leave my house in Glen Iris at 10.20am, which allows for a 20-car pile up on the Monash Freeway. Given this hasn’t happened yet, I’m half an hour early every week.

Freaky Friday.

Cheaper by the Dozen.

Upon arrival, the property steward has his tunes on. Spiderbait’s Black Betty is blaring through the rooms. So off goes his iPod and on goes my more versatile 250-song playlist.

There’s a tune for all moods.

I then head straight to the oval for a stroll. I do this because I’m bored and need to fill in time, although I’d like to think anyone watching thinks I’m gathering intel on wind and grass length.

There’s always things happening on at the ground at this time. Commentators are interviewing coaches and players, other coaches are talking to coaches from the opposing team that they played one year with back in 1999 and swapping footy trip stories.

Then there’s always one or two guys you know from the other team and this 10-minute window is seen as an opportunity to catch up.

The main question is, “So, what’s on after?” But neither player has any intention of catching up after the game. This catch-up window isn’t for me though. I barely like speaking to my teammates in this slot. I’m studying the grass length remember?

Players then go back into their rooms for meetings. To be fair, if you’re not aware of what’s planned by this point, you’re not going have a clue come game time. This is basically revision and a little pump up.

But it’s also the biggest 10 minutes of the team manager’s week given this meeting cannot go ahead unless 22 players have been accounted for.

They usually count at least four times and still get it wrong. Daniel Cross always thought this time was the best time to go to the toilet.

It’s now 11.30am and the meeting is done. Warm-up isn’t till 12.30pm so I have an hour up my sleeve to tape my ankles and put a makeshift shin guard on.

Nathan Jones celebrates a goal with Cam Pedersen, Max Gawn and Jesse Hogan.

I grab the AFL Record and go straight to the pocket profiles. Most players take the piss with their answers — some are funny, most are not.

The rooms are actually a much better place to be than in previous years when Jack Watts and I were sent into our own room so our infectious smiling wouldn’t affect our teammates.

To space out this hour I put one bit of clothing on every five minutes. I do get some weird looks walking around for five minutes with one boot on.

Warm-ups will be what makes me retire. They are incredibly boring, especially during the week. At some point during this warm-up I flick the switch — more intensity, louder voice and encouraging comments.

I steer clear from your clichéd, “Not at our home today, boys” or “She’s on from the start”. I feel like they are the messages that are better coming from the coach in his final message.

I am always last out of the rooms. Jeff Garlett and Jake Lever apparently did this at their old clubs and both attempted it in their first games at Melbourne.

I let them know pretty early on that they have to go out before me. But the problem going out last is that I’m not the quickest off the mark, which means I’m still going through the banner when Nathan Jones is flipping the coin.

For some reason when we run out I always pass a ball to Jeffy. I’m not sure how this started or what’s going to happen when one of us isn’t there anymore, but I like doing it.

Max Gawn at Melbourne training.

I make sure to check out how high the umpires are bouncing the ball. Etihad Stadium tends to bounce a lot lower than the rest and when you add the small bouncing surface to an umpire who is a low bouncer, you have a basketball tip-off.

After the game emotions flow through your mind. You’re happy with the win or upset with the loss, but those thoughts are disrupted by the post-match handshake. There’s normally a little “Good luck for the year” or a “Good to see you out here”, a firm shake and a tap on the back.

That’s normally enough, but there is always someone you have to talk to. You want this to be brief when you lose and an extended “Hows life?” conversation when you win. I do this.

Even if I spoke to this person throughout the game, the morning of the game or during the week, I still stop when I get to a former teammate or someone I’ve met along the journey. Again, I’ll ask, “How you tracking man?” which is exactly what I asked him two days ago via text. But we have to show everyone that we know each other. Normally another, “Much on tonight?” is inserted here.

I can’t have a go at what people get up to on game day. It can be a highly stressful time and rituals make people comfortable, which help lead to consistent performance.

Arriving to the ground calm, and remaining calm until the warm-up, allows me to have as much energy as possible for the match.

For 22 games and, hopefully a Grand Final, we are charged with putting all our talents on show. My view? Do whatever you can to make sure you do that.

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