Max Gawn image after suffering injury is just heartbreaking

Melbourne captain Max Gawn was ruled out of the Demons’ blockbuster against Brisbane, prompting heartbreaking scenes.

Max Gawn looked very sad.

Melbourne captain Max Gawn has gone down with a suspected knee injury just minutes into Friday night’s blockbuster against Brisbane.

Demons midfielder Jack Viney innocuously bumped into Gawn’s left leg in the early stages of the first quarter.

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The ruckman was immediately in pain and went off the field and down into the rooms for assessment with his head in his hands.

He was replaced by Melbourne’s substitute Jake Melksham, leaving new recruit Brodie Grundy to shoulder the ruck work against Brisbane’s Oscar McInerney and Darcy Fort.

Gawn was spotted in the rooms nursing an ice pack on his knee, looking extremely dejected.

“That image is worth 1000 words if you are seeing it,” Gerard Whateley said in commentary on SEN.

“And if you’re not, it’s despondency if ever you’ve seen it.”

😔#AFLLionsDeespic.twitter.com/zg472s6vdq

— AFL (@AFL) March 24, 2023

Gawn looks so dejected in the rooms. Awful seeing that 😭😭 #AFLLionsDees

— Nat Edwards (@Nat_Edwards) March 24, 2023

Bloody oath leave Gawn alone!

— Mitch Robinson (@MitchRobinson05) March 24, 2023

I want to watch Max Gawn sadcam all night #AFLLionsDees

— Ben Downie (@Ben_Downie) March 24, 2023

The exact nature of the injury isn’t clear yet and Gawn returned to the interchange bench and will likely undergo scans on Saturday.

The premiership captain and six-time All Australian torn the ACL in his right knee twice early in his career.

Fox Footy’s Jon Ralph reported the “best case scenario” would be a medial ligament strain that would rule Gawn out for a couple of months.

“The silver lining is it’s not his right knee, which has been surgically reconstructed,” Ralph said.

“But didn’t that body language just tell you a tale of desolation.”

Dees fans will be praying it’s not an ACL for Max Gawn. (Photo by Albert Perez/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Demons head of football said Alan Richardson Gawn’s initial diagnosis was “reasonable”.

“Clearly a sore knee,” Richardson told Channel 7 at halftime.

“We don’t know much more really. I know there’s an image going around that suggests he’s feeling really down and that leads to potential ACL stuff. That’s not the case.

“We’re going to have to scan it. Our doctors are saying he feels reasonable…”

Brisbane dominated the midfield battle to lead by 40 points midway through the fourth quarter before a power outage saw the floodlights turn off and the game suspended.

Once play resumed, Melbourne kicked five straight goals but it was too little, too late as the Lions held on for a 14.9 (93) to 13.4 (82) victory.