Max Gawn has done enough to win the Brownlow Medal, but will the umpires reward him?
MAX Gawn is impossible to ignore, a 208cm marvel hauling down contested marks and dominating centre bounces. But will the umpires recognise that? JON RALPH looks at the ruckman’s chances of winning the Brownlow.
Melbourne
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TO win a Brownlow Medal, match-winning brilliance isn’t enough.
Most players who take home Charlie do so under the umpires’ nose and with media hype similar to a studio lobbying for a movie star’s Oscars chances.
Max Gawn has now ticked off both the ingredients for Brownlow success.
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The bearded wonder is impossible to ignore, a 208cm marvel hauling down contested marks and dominating centre bounces just metres from the umpires.
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Now after his stunning performance on Saturday the bandwagon is filling up too.
Jon Brown was so impressed with his electric third quarter, where seven hit-outs went to advantage, he went off.
“That third quarter is the best quarter of rucking I have ever seen,” he stated on Fox Footy.
Yet the unanswerable question is whether the umpires will recognise the brilliance of a non-midfielder.
Certainly the trend isn’t Max’s friend.
In 2016 as the Demons won only seven games, Gawn polled 16 Brownlow Medal votes in a year with 928 hit-outs and 46 contested marks.
Yet he feigned outrage on Brownlow Medal night when consistently overlooked for maximum votes despite massive games.
He missed three votes despite eight contested marks and 41 hit-outs against Hawthorn and on Queens Birthday despite 27 disposals and three goals.
It was good enough for 20th in the Brownlow Medal, with no ruckman in the top 30 Brownlow getters last year.
In 2015 Todd Goldstein’s 18 votes were good enough for 10th, with Dean Cox’s best haul just 10 votes in 2011 as the All Australian ruckman that year.
Former Melbourne coach Paul Roos said on Sunday recognising Gawn’s brilliance was the great challenge for the whistleblowers.
Brown joked on Saturday Gawn deserved the three, two and one votes, yet Leigh Matthews had him fourth-best behind Angus Brayshaw, Jess Hogan and Clayton Oliver.
“This is a real test of the Brownlow system and the umpires as to where guys like (Brodie) Grundy and Gawn finish,” he told Triple M.
“Gawn is first or second in most media awards. It will be a real test of the umpires. He would have to be right up there to win it but with the three, two and one system, it’s difficult.
“We are all impacted by the media, including the umpires. Gawn and Grundy are getting to that level and I will be fascinated to see on Brownlow Medal night where he is at and what kinds of votes he gets from games like (Sunday).”
Adam Goodes was a quasi-ruckman but not since Gawn’s good mate Jim Stynes (1991) and Scott Wynd (1992) have pure rucks won the Brownlow Medal.
Demons co-captain Nathan Jones told Seven on Sunday that Gawn would be a worthy winner.
“Maxy has to be right up there after the consistency of this year and the last few years.
“This year has been an absolute standout in my book. He deserves to be right up there among the game’s best players and to be considered for that award.”
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