Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin hints at Max Gawn becoming captain after loss to North Melbourne

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has given the strongest hint yet Max Gawn could be the club’s captain next year after his inspirational performance almost dragged the Demons over the line against North Melbourne.

Shaun Higgins puts the clamps on Jake Melksham during North Melbourne’s last-round win. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images.

Midfield maestro Shaun Higgins produced a massive reminder of why North Melbourne is bending over backwards to retain their flying Kangaroo when he inspired it to a five-point thriller over Melbourne in Hobart on Saturday.

A stunning second half by the Kanga ball-magnet proved the difference in a finals-like round 23 classic between the two teams that needed to finish their disappointing seasons with a win.

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Higgins, who is shaping as catnip to Geelong recruiters, gathered a game-best 34 possessions and kicked two goals, including the matchwinner 28 minutes into the final term.

Melbourne had its chance to tie the scores with 11 seconds left but Alex Neal-Bullen’s desperate shot hit the post, consigning the Dees to their seventh consecutive loss.

Shaun Higgins proved to be the @Gatorade Game Changer with a match-winning snap late in the game! 🔥#AFLNorthDees pic.twitter.com/oznxl0c7V4

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The Demons had not tasted victory since pipping Carlton in a five-point thriller in round 16 and a win in the final round was exactly the tonic Simon Goodwin needed to ease his coaching heartburn.

Last gamer Jordan Lewis collars North Melbourne midfielder Ben Cunnington.

With both sides playing only for pride in the round 23 dead rubber, the contest was a ripper with the margin four points in Melbourne’s favour at the first change, level at halftime and one to the Dees at the final change.

The biggest interest factor in the game was whether or not Ben Brown could kick enough goals to retain his lead in the race for the Coleman Medal.

A combinations of factors conspired against Big Ben matching the 10-goal haul a week earlier against Gold Coast.

Demon defender Sam Frost was the perfect match for Brown, and barely gave him a sniff within bull’s roar of goal, forcing the Tasmanian Kangaroo to chase the ball far and wide.

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North Melbourne’s delivery to their big forward was almost without exception abysmal, aiding Melbourne’s plan to quell his influence, and when the ball did arrive long and strong, Frost was assisted by Jake Lever in assuring Brown could not glove it.

Shaun Higgins puts the clamps on Jake Melksham during North Melbourne’s last-round win. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images.

Brown kicked his second goal seven minutes into the final term to give the Roos the lead for the first time since midway through the third term, and after weathering a resurgence driven by Max Gawn, who kicked three goals, dominated the hit-outs and did untold damage around the ground, the Kangas ended on a high.

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It was Kangaroos stalwart Scott Thompson’s final AFL appearance and despite a first-quarter shocker he grew into the game and was again close to his reliable best.

Ben Brown finished the match six goals ahead of Jeremy Cameron after kicking two majors. Picture: AAP Image/Michael Dodge.

Fritsch was his direct opponent in the first half and the Dee nailed his first two goals back-to-back early in the first, and did not goal again until the third term when Thompson had been relieved of that duty.

Jordan Lewis, also in his last AFL game, was another influential performer through the middle where he produced 24 disposals.

GOODWIN: GAWN CAN HELP REBUILD DEMONS

James Bresnehan

Indomitable big man Max Gawn is the type of leader Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin will call on to help rebuild the broken Demons over the summer months.

The rangy ruckman almost dragged Melbourne over the line against a more fancied North Melbourne in Hobart yesterday but fell agonising five points short of their first win since round 16.

Gawn was inspirational in a gripping Round 23 match that Melbourne led for most of the day until the Roos stole late it in the fourth.

Big Max played like a midfielder, gathering 26 possessions and five inside 50s to go with his three goals and ruck domination — 41 hit outs to Todd Goldstein’s 24.

Goodwin rated Gawn the Demon leader needed to inspire a new generation.

“Yes 100 per cent,” he said.

“Max has seen a lot at this footy club and he’s been through a lot.

“He’s worked his way through in the past four years to a footy club that played in a preliminary final [last year] and he’s now seen it fall back down.

“He has worked his way into a space where he wants to be great.

“It’s a great thing for our footy club to have someone like Max who can pick up the boys who are coming through and lead them in the right way and demand the behaviours needed to take this club forward again.”

Max Gawn was the dominant player on the ground in Melbourne’s loss to North Melbourne.

Despite another loss, Goodwin saw enough to lay the foundation for his 2020 vision.

“On the whole it was a performance that was in the right direction,” Goodwin said.

North Melbourne coach Rhyce Shaw said the Roos were “off the boil” but they got the win on courage.

“It was shinboner spirit got us over the line,” Shaw said.

“It was really important to get the win.

“A few weeks ago when we couldn’t make the finals we made the decision to not pack it in, but to really set ourselves up for next year.

“In our last two games, one was a really good display of North Melbourne footy and today we were disappointed in the way we played but our effort got us across the line and that was really pleasing.”

LEWIS MISSES OUT ON FAIRYTALE FINISH

Adam Smith

With two retiring greats on opposing sides there was always destined to be one fairytale farewell and another heartbreaking departure in North Melbourne’s clash with Melbourne in Hobart.

But if not for a slightly more accurate kick from Alex Neal-Bullen with just nine seconds left on the clock, both Jordan Lewis and Scott Thompson would have played their final AFL matches in a pulsating draw.

In the end Neal-Bullen’s slicing shot from the 50m arc thudded into the right hand goalpost at Blundstone Arena’s Derwent River End, allowing the Roos to hang on to a five-point thriller and see Thompson end on the high.

Jordan Lewis is chaired off by Nathan Jones and Max Gawn after his last AFL game. Picture: Michael Dodge/AAP.

The result wasn’t the way Lewis, a four time premiership great with Hawthorn, wanted to bow out after a stellar 319-game career but it arguably summed up Melbourne’s horror 2019 campaign.

Last year’s preliminary finalists — tipped to be a legitimate premiership contender at the start of the season — will finish 17th, above only the battling Gold Coast with five wins for the year in a stunning fall from grace.

Lewis was productive in his last outing, gathering 24 disposals in a role split between halfback and the midfield, while also having seven score involvements.

However unlike his close friend Jarryd Roughead, who bowed out a winner against the Gold Coast last weekend, the 33-year-old was not as fortunate to be on the right end of the scoreline when the final siren sounded.