Max Gawn to captain Melbourne in season 2020
There is a new captain at Melbourne, with All-Australian ruckman Max Gawn officially taking over from co-captains Nathan Jones and Jack Viney. See the new, and different, leadership group.
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Max Gawn is Melbourne’s new captain.
As reported by the Sunday Herald Sun, the Demons have installed the ruckman as its sole captain for 2020, replacing co-captains Nathan Jones and Jack Viney.
Jones stepped down from the role late last year, while Viney has been replaced by the All-Australian ruckman.
Gawn was voted in to the position after a player and coach vote.
Viney will serve as Gawn’s vice-captain — the pair are the only two players to be officially recognised with leadership roles, with the Demons not appointing a formal leadership group.
Gawn met Viney for breakfast on Monday morning, where he told a demoted Viney that it would be the two of them that would drive the Demons forward together.
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Demons coach Simon Goodwin confirmed Viney was “disappointed” to lose the captaincy.
“Me and Jack have a great relationship and I remember two years ago when he got voted as captain he pointed me out and said, ‘It’s going to be me and you that are going to take this club forward’,” Gawn said.
“I said the same thing to him this morning. It’s going to be me and him that are going to keep taking this club forward. Obviously we’re going to need a lot of help and we’re asking the other 43 players to help us. But in my mind nothing changes, really. Jack continues doing what he’s doing and I continue doing what I’m doing.”
Viney was absent from the announcement, with Gawn flanked by Goodwin who labelled the ruckman an “incredible” story and a player who had grown into a “fine leader”.
Goodwin said Viney was understanding of the change and remained “all in” in on driving the Demons forward.
“When you go through the votes of the playing group there was two standout guys. There was Max, and there was Jack,” Goodwin said.
“He (Viney) was disappointed, as you would hope so. He’s a very passionate man, Jack, and he takes his leadership very seriously and it’s a great honour to be a captain of a footy club.
But you don’t know Jack Viney if you don’t know where he comes from. If there’s one thing since he’s walked through these doors it’s to make this club great and be a part of something really special. His leadership won’t change. The way he plays won’t change. And my conversations with him have been really simple. He is all in. He wants this club to be the best club it can be, he wants to support Max in the best way he can. There will be people out there who will say, ‘Is he all in?’. If you’re asking that question you don’t know Jack Viney. He’s never been more passionate about this footy club.”
Gawn, who has been in the club’s leadership group since 2016, said he had felt ready for the role of captain for some time and would put his “own stamp” on the job.
“I know my peers have valued the way I lead and I was always (thinking) if I was needed, I’m ready to take the role. And I am now,” Gawn said.
“I don’t think I’ll change much. For those that know me and have seen how I’ve operated for the last few years, that’s why I’ve been voted in and that’s what I’ll stick to.
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“I know I’ve got to get better as a leader. We had numerous times last year when the leaders needed to step up and didn’t. That’s myself, Jack, Nathan and Neville in the leadership group this year. Hopefully we’re not 0-3. Hopefully we’re 3-0. But if we do get in that position again that’s where my improvement will be, but I’ll continue to be that same person.”
Gawn said he hoped to be fit for Melbourne’s second Marsh Community Series match against Hawthorn on Friday, March 6 after missing the club’s first pre-season hitout against Adelaide on Saturday as he continues to recover from a knee injury.
Jones and Viney have co-captained Melbourne for the last three years, including to the club’s run to the preliminary final in 2018.
The Demons are coming off a disappointing season, dropping from preliminary finalists to second last after winning just five games last year.