AFL: All-Australian ruckman Max Gawn to captain Melbourne for third straight season

Max Gawn became Melbourne’s first premiership captain since 1964 and will have the chance to do it again this year.

Melbourne is sticking with the two-man leadership formula that helped the club end its 57-year premiership drought.

Max Gawn will captain the Demons for the third season in a row after assuming the role outright in February 2020, succeeding co-captains Jack Viney and Nathan Jones.

Viney has been the vice-captain ever since, as he will be again in 2022.

Five-time All-Australian ruckman Gawn, who became a father in the off-season, has overseen a cultural transformation at Melbourne that played a significant role in it winning last year’s flag.

Speaking to News Corp after the grand final, Gawn revealed how the Demons had gone “from best mates to best teammates”.

Jack Viney will be Max Gawn’s vice-captain again. Picture: Getty Images

“It’s been only 12 months and we’ve won a flag, but to create something I really want to be part of is to be able to do this over a long period of time,” Gawn said.

“We’re all great pals off the field and that’s continued, but to be able to be great teammates and accountable to each other (is what we wanted).

“We saw some great examples throughout the finals series, but on grand final day, Clayton (Oliver) was able to do some good stuff on ‘Bont’ (Marcus Bontempelli), while Christian Petracca went and dominated the game.

“Those two, it’s fair to say, both wouldn’t have sacrificed their game back in 2018 or 2019 for someone else.

“They were always stars but now they’re genuine stars and genuinely good teammates and team players.”

Melbourne starts its AFL premiership defence in a grand final rematch against the Western Bulldogs on Wednesday night, March 16.