Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn ignores runner before setting up a crucial play in semi-final win

IT WAS the 20 seconds that propelled Melbourne into its first preliminary final in 18 years. And it wouldn’t have happened if Max Gawn had followed instructions.

Melbourne’s Max Gawn celebrates kicking a goal. Picture. Phil Hillyard

MAX Gawn knew it was his time to shine.

Hawthorn was coming hard in the final quart of Friday night’s semi-final and had just slashed the margin to 12 points when Melbourne runner Daniel Cross told Gawn get off the ground.

Hawthorn ruckman Ben McEvoy had just gone to the bench for his break, which presented a good chance for Gawn to also have a breather.

But the 2018 All-Australian ruckman wasn’t having a bar of it, and stayed on in what proved a turning point for the Demons.

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Gawn won the following centre bounce hitout against Hawthorn back-up ruckman Jarryd Roughead and Melbourne kicked a goal through Jake Melksham from it.

“McEvoy was pretty consistent at coming off around the 8-9 minute mark,” Gawn said.

“So I was presuming he was going to do the same thing in that quarter. Crossy, our runner, actually came to me and told me to come off at the same time.

Melbourne's Max Gawn celebrates a goal during Friday night’s semi-final. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“We spoke at three-quarter-time as leaders that I’ve got a chance against Roughy in the centre bounce. They’d kicked two or three in a row and I thought I’d like to win this clearance before I come off. And that’s what happened.

“It doesn’t always happen like that. Sometimes Goody (coach Simon Goodwin) can ask me why the hell I stayed on. But I was able to get my hand on it, we won the clearance and got a goal and then I came off and got my rest.

“It was only 20 seconds I stayed on the ground for longer but I just managed to play for one more play.”

Gawn said he had a “love-hate relationship” with Cross, believing game sense had to take priority over sports science at times.

“My rotations are pretty locked that around the 13-14 minute mark I’ll tend to come off for my one or two minutes,” Gawn said.

“But there’s got to be a bit of game state in that as well.”

Gawn played 84 per cent game time against the Hawks, which would have been more if not for him getting stuck on the bench for an extended period in the opening quarter.

“When the ball gets stuck on the other side of the ground like it did, it can just become so hard for a rotation,” Gawn said on SEN radio.

“I’m pretty bullish about our ruck stocks and we do have two guys out there that can compete in (Sam) Weideman and (Tom) McDonald but obviously six or seven minutes isn’t ideal to be sitting on the bench for any player, let along the ruckman.

“Every player wants to stay on the ground for as long as possible, but rotations are a thing in football.”

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