AFL: Max Gawn and Luke Jackson to return for Demons

Two key ins are “itching to get out there and play” in further good news for a Melbourne team looking like their old selves.

Max Gawn is a big in. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Melbourne will receive a massive boost for their top-of-the-ladder blockbuster against Geelong at Kardinia Park on Thursday night, with star ruck duo Max Gawn and Luke Jackson set to return.

Gawn has missed the past two games due to an ankle injury, while Jackson sat out the Demons’ 29-point win over Adelaide last round due to a knee complaint.

Their absence against the Crows meant Melbourne went into that clash without a recognised ruckman and subsequently lost the hitout count comprehensively 57-13.

“We certainly missed them last week … to get those aerial presences back into our footy team will be great,” Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said.

“They’re ready to go. Both guys were really touch and go to get up for last week. Max had an incredibly strong session on Saturday in Adelaide and ‘Jacko’ was very similar back in Melbourne.

“They’re itching to get out there and play. They’re a big part of our footy team and to get them both back at once is really exciting.”

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin is excited to have Max Gawn back. Picture: Michael Klein

For the second year in a row, the Demons and Cats head into a game at Geelong’s home ground as the top-two ranked teams in the competition, and Goodwin said there was a finals feel about the game.

“Our players are looking forward to it and there’s a lot of excitement around the group, a lot of energy this week, so we can’t wait for the challenge ahead,” he said.

“You get a great audit on your game, you get a great audit on where you sit as a footy club.”

Melbourne memorably clinched the minor premiership against Geelong at Kardinia Park in round 23 last year after fighting back from 44 points down, with a goal after the siren from Gawn securing the win.

A month later, the Demons demolished the Cats by 83 points in the preliminary final at Optus Stadium on the way to their drought-breaking premiership.

“The last few times we’ve played we’ve delivered some enormous belief to our playing group around what’s possible and we’ll go after the game the way we want it to look,” Goodwin said.

Gawn and Luke Jackson (pictured) will add to the Demons’ firepower. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

“Both teams have unbelievable belief in their method, but it does come down to the team that executes that for longer.”

Goodwin might have enough on his plate to worry about during the game as Melbourne’s coach, but he was still allowing himself to put on his “footy purist” cap and appreciate the myriad individual duels that are set to take place.

“It’s exciting. As a pure footy fan, if you’re going to the game and you look across the ground and you see some of the battles that are going to take place in a one-v-two clash, you look at the quality of a (Tom) Hawkins and a (Jeremy) Cameron v (Steven) May and (Jake) Lever, then you move up into the midfield and you’ve got (Christian) Petracca and (Clayton) Oliver versus (Joel) Selwood and (Patrick) Dangerfield,” Goodwin said.

“All over the ground there’s great duels and that’s what you get in these big types of clashes.”

Originally published as AFL: Max Gawn and Luke Jackson to return for Demons