By Peter Ryan
Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn has been banned from contact training for the next six weeks after suffering a fractured larynx this week.
The seven-time All-Australian suffered the injury in a contest at training on Monday and had scans that revealed the extent of the damage.
Melbourne skipper Max Gawn is the best ruckman of his era.Credit: Getty Images
Melbourne’s fitness boss Selwyn Griffith said the club expected the skipper to make a full recovery, but he would not be able to exercise for the next fortnight.
“Max sustained a fractured larynx following a hit to the throat during training this week,” Griffith said.
“As part of his recovery, Max won’t be able to exercise for the next two weeks, followed by a period of non-contact training for an additional four weeks.”
Gawn walked laps on Wednesday as the group finalised its pre-Christmas preparations, having spent part of his off-season joining teammate Ed Langdon on a bike ride through Saudi Arabia. The Demons cannot afford to lose their star skipper despite recruiting veteran ruckman Tom Campbell from the Saints as insurance in the off-season and adding forward-ruck Aiden Johnson in the national draft from Werribee.
Meanwhile, the Demons revealed on Wednesday night that premiership player Harrison Petty would return to defence after being trialled as a forward in 2024.
Defender Jake Lever remains in rehab after having a knee arthroscope and shoulder injury in the off-season, while Bayley Fritsch and Christian Salem are back in full training following arthroscopes.
“[Lever will] still be in a modified environment once we return from Christmas, more so from the shoulder perspective as we build his tolerance to contact training,” Griffith said.
“We expect that Jake will be full training by the end of January.”
In other football news, the Brisbane Lions announced they had extended premiership coach Chris Fagan’s contract by a further two years. The 63-year-old is now locked in until 2027, which will be his 10th season as coach of the Lions.
He almost took a break from the game mid-season but club CEO Greg Swann and president Andrew Wellington reassured him that he was vital to the Lions’ progress, and he gathered himself to lead the club to a remarkable flag after being runners-up in 2023.
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