He is a 34-year-old star who is dominating the AFL.
How good is Melbourne captain Max Gawn’s season?
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“Right now it looks like he’s the biggest headache in the competition,” said Champion Data’s Daniel Hoyne. Preview of the first crack.
Gaun is currently ranked as the tournament’s second-best player – behind only Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli – and is backed by a number of “frightening” statistics.
Gaun finds it difficult to find words after Dis’s victory | 00:44
“I think we are witnessing the greatest season we have ever seen,” David King, two-time prime minister, told Roux.
“Everyone talks about Polly Framer and these guys – we haven’t really seen them in their prime. Nick Naitanui was probably the benchmark for us in terms of his impact on games – I think we’re in a real sweet spot for athletes in the game.
“But no one does what Max does in every aspect of the game.”
So what’s different in 2026? First Crack analysts cannot determine what Gaun has achieved.
Max Gaun is having the best year of his career at the age of 34.Source: Getty Images
TEAM FIRST MENTALITY
Data shows Max Gawn is playing on average five minutes less per game – which King admits “doesn’t sound like much” but could make a difference over the course of the season come September.
And it is in these games that he gets rest.
Champion Data stats show that since Round 10, Gawn has played under 25 minutes in fourth quarters seven times since Round 10, up from one last year, and has played over 28 minutes just three times since Round 8, down from 13 last year.
“Short quarters, last year he had more short quarters on the ground—seven times less this year than 24.5 minutes,” King shared.
“Whereas last year he only really had one spell all year – so they’re doing a great job with him.
“The really long quarters are the ones we don’t talk about, the ones that last almost 30 minutes plus – 13 times last year and only three this year.
“I think they made a conscious decision to put the needs of the team ahead of the needs of the individual.
“And the player has to buy into it.”
For Max Gaun, it was a “team thing.”Source: Getty Images
King described it as a “hard sell” from coach Stephen King to play Max Heath for a six-week block.
“If you look at those six weeks of Coaches Association votes, in the six weeks that Max Heath played, (Gon) got 10 votes in six weeks,” he said.
“On top of that, he got 64 votes in 11 weeks.
“So it probably cost him a bit of status and a bit of personal glory – he won’t win the Brownlow.
“He’ll be all-Australian. He’ll be the first nine-timer we’ve ever had.”
“He probably won’t be captain because Jordan Dawson deserves it.
“So where will we recognize Max? Where will he be recognized this year for having an outstanding season that we haven’t seen before?”
Gaun said given Stephen King’s experience at the Geelong Football Club and their ability to rest players, Gaun was set for a big finish before 2026.
“It’s Geelong’s story as we try to play the long game and really try to prepare for the rest of the season,” he said.
“They’re not in that position if Max doesn’t shoot.
“(Melbourne) understands that in the first week of the finals, if Max isn’t quite mature, we’re not going to challenge the best. Right now, it looks like he’s the biggest headache in the competition.”
“From Geelong, Stephen King, every year you talk about the influence of Danger (Patrick Dangerfield) and how they time him for the final turn and then let him explode – Max is the same,” added presenter Ben Dixon.
“He’s probably ready to jump out of his skin!”
Lloyd Meek takes on big man D Max Gawn in the ruck.Source: Getty Images
CHAIN-HAPPY MAX
There are only two players in the AFL who have featured in more nets than Max Gawn in 2026 – Magpie Nick Daicos and Kat Bailey Smith.
Gaun is involved in all things Melbourne and statistics show he is involved in one in four networks.
“This is the highest rated season ever – and our rating system goes back to 2010,” Hoyne shared.
“I think we’re in a position at the moment as an industry where the premier team over the last 15 years or so – with the exception of Max himself in 2021 – has made do with a more combative athlete, a competitor on the court and a competitor in the air, and we’re going to bring you in through the trade system.
“Now with what (Brody) Grundy, (Luke) Jackson and Max are actually doing, they’re all top 11 players in the tournament – we’ve never had three rucks in the top 11 players in the tournament.
“When you look at what Melbourne are doing in the clearance situation at the moment – top four in clearance, their clearance record is two best in the competition. It’s easy to just get passed and go (Tom) Sparrow is going well, Cozzie (Pickett) is having a great year – that’s Max!”
Max Gaun is having the best season of his career.Source: Getty Images
King says it’s Gawn who constantly sets up the game for Dee.
“In terms of being involved in all aspects of the game, we don’t have another athlete who does that,” he praised.
“Whether it’s turning the ball over for Melbourne, stopping the opposition when play stops, he’s a major player on bounces down the middle, throw-ins on the boundary or lifting the ball, on shots he’s a weapon – whether they’re hitting him or trying to get past him. Only two guys are more involved in chains of possession than Max and that’s Nick Daicos and Bailey Smith.”
“You look at the clearances, he’s the same in the clearances – only Brodie Grundy is more involved in the clearances.
“He’s up there in the top two.”
Sydney’s Brodie Grundy and Melbourne’s Max Gawn go head-to-head.Source: News Corp Australia
THINKING: “GO BACK AND HELP EVERYONE”
David King says the plan for opposition parties should be simple: “You have to stop kicking Max!”
Gawn will dominate in the air in 2026 – in terms of ruck ratings, he is the AFL’s leading player in interceptions and interceptions between the creases.
He also ranked second in interception marks in D50 and contested marks between the arcs.
And what’s remarkable is that he has 50 percent MORE contested scores than any athlete this season.
“We commend Luke Jackson – he’s not coming back like Max,” King said.
“He doesn’t do the defensive work that Max does.
“(Gon) is a controversial animal with marks.
Max Gown scores ahead of Ned Reeves.Source: News Corp Australia
“Darcy Cameron is coming back – he’s the one who intercepts more throws than Max in D50. But that’s probably all he does – he doesn’t move forward as much as Max.”
Dixon praised Gown’s athleticism as he goes from start to finish.
“Takeover signs – athletes don’t do that because the game goes so fast… but he positions himself so well!” – he said.
“And because it’s so strong, it’s hard to get past.
“You just have to be amazed at what he can do and the way he can move around the ground – he’s a big man.
“It was wet and rainy at the weekend (against Richmond at the MCG) – those weren’t his conditions and he just rolled up his sleeves, got into the right spots and grounded the ball and played his part.”
Statistics show Gawn has received the second-most penalties this season and King said it was time for teams to avoid the big man.
“People can’t compete with him – he gets chopped, dragged, grabbed, hit – 44 penalties,” he said.
“There is no one who has a greater impact on the game than Max, and he is the stop sign man!
“When I see Max getting positioned behind the line, I say don’t kick him next to him because he does everything.
“I’m keeping an eye on this – if you’re dumb enough to do this, we’ll single you out in the next few weeks.”
King praised the coaching of Collingwood’s Craig McRae, who used his ruck Darcy Cameron in a defensive role against Gawn.
“If it’s going to one side of the ground, you can’t kick it near Max!” – said King.
“Good training, a high-level coach has seen it – and every now and then you see a couple of tactics and say, ‘OK, what’s going on?’
Max Gaun will become a “human stop sign” in 2026 thanks to his marking efforts.Source: News Corp Australia
“Cameron and Collingwood said, ‘No, no, we’ll get Max out of the way as often as we can.’
“They try to hold him back, hit him, irritate him… so it’s forward movement, 50.
“On a kickout, Darcy goes straight down the middle – if (Gon) doesn’t come to you, we kick him out to you. But if he does, we kick him away from you.
“This is something that competitors need to see and evaluate.
“That’s Max’s influence.
“Although he doesn’t get any coaches’ votes, you spend half the week worrying that he might ruin your game.
“Drag him – lead him in one direction, and I will go in the other, no matter which side.
“Melbourne fans are delighted with what Max has done for their football club… I think we’ve talked about eight different players this year who are the best players in the game – none of them have topped Max.”