Max Gawn’s wife’s incredible act to stop Melbourne Demons trade disaster

Extraordinary details have emerged about the private moves behind the scenes that rescued an AFL star from disaster.

2018 AFL Brownlow Medal Vote Count at Crown Palladium. Max Gawn and Jessica Todd. Picture: Mark Stewart

Melbourne has Max Gawn and wife Jessica to thank for pulling the Clayton Oliver trade scandal back from the brink.

The four-tme best and fairest winner on Thursday made a commitment to the club after some senior figures were left disappointed by his behaviour towards the end of the club’s 2023 season.

In a letter to members on Friday, Melbourne chief executive Gary Pert confirmed that the club was not seeking a trade for Oliver, nor did Oliver officially request one.

That came after days of radio silence from the club when reports emerged Oliver was considering interest to leave the club with the Adelaide Crows reportedly preparing to make a move.

It was first reported there was friction between Oliver and the club earlier this week — and those rumours were proven to be true in comments from Demons stars Christian Petracca and Jack Viney on Friday.

Max Gawn and wife Jessica Gawn at the 2023 Brownlow Medal. Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images.

The odd couple. Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

The biggest factor in averting the disaster is reported to have happened behind closed doors with Oliver accepting an invitation to live with Max and Jessica.

The club captain is reported to have taken Oliver in as part of the club’s demands for Oliver to address his reported dip in professionalism.

The couple announced in July they are expecting their second child. Their son George was born a month after the Demons won the 2021 AFL grand final.

It is a seemingly unthinkable, kind act from a young mum in the trenches of having a young child.

Footy journalist Tom Morris said on SEN on Friday Oliver is staying with Gawn, who has a brief trip to New Zealand planned.

Sam Edmund of SEN earlier said the Demons had given Oliver and ultimatum, which included a directive to move in with Gawn on a temporary basis.

“They have made a series of demands to Oliver that include the need to treat club staff with respect, teammates with respect, prepare the way he should and to turn up to training in the proper condition,” he said.

“It can be revealed that Melbourne’s reluctance to squash the frenzied trade talk surrounding the 26-year-old is exclusively due to its exasperation with Oliver’s increasingly erratic behaviour.”

Speaking at the club’s best and fairest awards on Friday, Viney admitted the club has face challenges around Oliver’s behaviour.

Oliver was also in attendance.

“Everyone faces their own challenge throughout the year, it’s just with the calibre of player Clayton is it’s become public,” Viney said.

Oliver is arguably the best player on Melbourne’s list. Photo by Michael Klein.

“We have multiple conversations with players throughout the year about meeting and upholding certain standards we expect of everyone at the football club and Clayton is no different.”

Pert’s letter to club members was also surprisingly strongly-worded.

“The Club has been aware of and supporting Clayton with his personal circumstances for some time and is committed to continuing to do so,” he said.

“While Club leaders focus on the care and support Clayton needs, we also have a responsibility to uphold our strong Club culture for the benefit of all our players and staff. We have a responsibility to ensure that everyone within the Club is committed to meeting the expected behavioural standards of a player within an AFL high performance environment.

“Clayton understands what is expected of him as a professional athlete, as well as the standards and behaviours a Melbourne person is expected to uphold.”

Originally published as Max Gawn’s wife’s incredible act to stop Melbourne Demons trade disaster