Max Gawn’s cheap SuperCoach price and high scoring ceiling makes him a must-have
MAX Gawn was one of the most popular SuperCoach picks of 2017 before everything went pear-shaped. Should coaches be wary or forget and forgive? AL PATON looks at the star Demon’s pros and cons.
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MAX Gawn was one of the SuperCoach buys of 2016, and one of the most popular picks heading into 2017.
Then everything went pear-shaped when he suffered a severe hamstring injury that sidelined him for the next 10 weeks.
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Does that mean super value or buyer beware in 2018? Here are the pros and cons for picking the Demons big man this season.
WHY WE SHOULD PICK HIM
* Remember 2016. Gawn was a scoring machine in that breakout season, averaging 119 points including a seven-match purple patch from Rounds 16-22 when he averaged 133. Few players in any position have demonstrated that scoring potential.
* Value, value, value. Gawn is the 10th most expensive ruck, cheaper than Tom Bellchambers, Jarrod Witts and Ben McEvoy. If he doesn’t have any fitness problems, is there any doubt he will outscore those guys?
* He has one of the highest scoring ceilings in the comp. In that amazing 2016 season, he scored over 160 five times. That makes him a viable captain option.
* Gawn turned heads when he returned for pre-season training in November trimmed down after undertaking a fitness regime while away in New York during the off-season. Earlier this month he went into the gruelling summer regime that has him in supreme shape.
* The Dees have a reasonable start to the season with games against Brisbane and North Melbourne in the first three rounds. Gawn’s favourite opponent St Kilda — he averages 128 against the Saints — is up in Round 7.
* For some strange reason Gawn seems to reserve his biggest games for off-the-grid venues. This year the Demons play in Alice Springs (Round 10) and Darwin (Round 16) — pencil in humungous Gawn scores.
* The beard. Need we say more?
WHY WE SHOULDN’T PICK HIM
* Remember 2017. Gawn burnt lots of SuperCoaches who forked out top dollar for him when he broke down in Round 3. Even more of a worry is that after he returned in Round 14 he was up and down in his SuperCoach output with four scores over 100 in the final 10 games and three under 70 — in the last three rounds he scored 56, 78 and 67. Alarm bells anyone?
* This time last year we were spooked by the possibility of Jake Spencer sharing the ruck role with big Maxy. That didn’t happen — and there is no chance this year after Spencer was delisted. But Cam Pedersen was a regular in the second half of last season, taking a share of the hit-outs and eating into Gawn’s scores. In Rounds 21 and 22 Pedersen scored 137 and 116 points (versus Gawn’s 56 and 78). Watch closely how Simon Goodwin uses his big men in the pre-season.
* Where have all the goals gone? In 2016 Gawn booted 16.11 in 22 games. In 13 games last year he kicked 4.4. We need more of those big contested grabs at the top of the goalsquare when everyone else is tired late in close games — when SuperCoach points have extra value!
THE VERDICT
Al Paton: The Gawn-Nic Nat ruck combo was locked in about 30 seconds after SuperCoach opened. Cam Pedersen’s role makes me a bit nervous but can’t see a loss at this price. Could pick a more expensive ruck but who stands out?
Gilbert Gardiner: Just pick him. Barring injury, Gawn will be the No. 1 ruckman in the game by a fair margin. He dominates stoppages, and most importantly, is able to drift forward to kick goals.
Ben Broad: Arguably the best big man in the game, but ranked 10th among the ruckman this year. And have you seen how ripped he’s looking? Lock him in.
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