Max Gawn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Max Gawn |
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Gawn playing for Melbourne in April 2025
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Max Gawn | ||
| Date of birth | 30 December 1991 | ||
| Original team | Sandringham Dragons (TAC Cup) | ||
| Draft | No. 34, 2009 national draft | ||
| Debut | Round 11, 2011, Melbourne v. Essendon, at MCG |
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| Position(s) | Ruck | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Melbourne | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| Career highlights | |||
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Max Gawn (born 30 December 1991) is a famous professional Australian rules football player. He plays for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Max is a ruckman, which means he is usually the tallest player on the field. He is 209 cm tall and weighs 111 kg. Max is great at both the ruck position and playing in the forward line.
When he was younger, Max played basketball and rugby union. But he chose to focus on Australian rules football. The Melbourne Football Club picked him in the 2009 AFL draft. He played his first AFL game in the 2011 AFL season. Max faced some challenges with knee and hamstring injuries in his early years. However, he became Melbourne's main ruckman in 2015. He was also chosen for the 2016 All-Australian team.
Max became the captain of the Melbourne team in 2020. In 2021, he led his team to win their first championship since 1964. This was a huge achievement! Max has also been named an All-Australian player eight times. This shows he is one of the best players in the league.
Contents
Early Life and Sporting Beginnings
Max Gawn was born in Australia. His parents, Sandra and Robert, were from New Zealand. When Max was three, his family moved to Greymouth in New Zealand. Later, they settled in Melbourne, Australia.
Max's dad suggested he try rugby union. So, Max played rugby in the Under-10s. He also enjoyed playing basketball when he was younger. But Australian rules football was always his favorite sport. He went to McKinnon Secondary College. He played junior football for the Ormond Football Club.
In 2009, Max played for the Sandringham Dragons in the TAC Cup. He played only three games that year. He then got a serious knee injury (an ACL tear). This happened during a game against the Geelong Falcons. Because of this injury, he missed the 2009 AFL Under 18 Championships.
Journey to the AFL
Overcoming Early Challenges
The Melbourne Football Club chose Max Gawn in the 2009 AFL draft. He was the 34th player picked overall. At that time, he was one of the tallest players in the league.
After his knee surgery in 2009, Max missed most of the 2010 season. He played some games for Melbourne's junior team, the Casey Scorpions. In 2011, he played very well for Casey. This led to his first AFL game in Round 11. Melbourne won against Essendon at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Max played as a forward and did a great job.
For his first game, a famous player named Jim Stynes gave Max his number 37 jersey. Jim Stynes was a legend for Melbourne. Max played a few more games in his first season.
In 2012, Max faced more bad luck. He got another serious knee injury. This meant he missed the entire 2012 season. He also had a hamstring injury in early 2013. After 18 months, he finally played again for Casey. He returned to the AFL in Round 4 of the 2013 season. He even kicked two goals to help Melbourne win a big game! He played 13 games that season.
Rising to Stardom
In 2014, Max also coached a junior team at his old club, Ormond Football Club. He even started a carpentry business with some teammates. He played nine AFL games that year. While playing for Casey, he set a record for the most "hitouts" in a VFL game.
Max had another knee injury at the end of 2014. But he recovered and changed his jersey number to 11. This was the same number worn by his hero, Jim Stynes.
In 2015, Max became a key player for Melbourne. He helped his team win against Geelong for the first time in many years. He had an amazing game with 44 hitouts and a goal. Many people said it was his best game ever. He was called the most improved ruckman in the league. Max then decided he wanted to be the best ruckman in the AFL.
In 2016, Max joined Melbourne's leadership group. He played against Todd Goldstein, another top ruckman, and had 63 hitouts. This was one of the highest totals ever! People started to wonder if Max was the best ruckman in the league. In the Queen's Birthday game, he was named the best player on the field. He had 27 disposals and kicked three goals.
Max's ability to kick goals and take strong marks made him stand out. He played every game in 2016. He had the most hitouts in the league with 928. He also broke the record for hitouts to advantage. Max was chosen for the 2016 All-Australian team. He finished third in Melbourne's best and fairest award. He also received 16 votes for the Brownlow Medal, showing how highly he was rated.
Facing Setbacks and Strong Comebacks
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After his great year in 2016, everyone had high hopes for Max. He was named one of the top players in the league. He also stayed in Melbourne's leadership group for 2017.
In the first game of 2017, Max had 49 hitouts. He helped Melbourne win by 30 points. But in Round 3, he got a serious hamstring injury. This needed surgery, and he missed ten weeks of games. He returned to the AFL in Round 14.
After his injury, Max found it hard to get back to his best form. He admitted he was not as fast as before. He also had to change his ruck technique. Umpires were giving him free kicks for how he was playing. He learned to adapt his style. Max played 13 games that season. He signed a new contract to stay with Melbourne until 2021.
In 2018, Max played every game, including three finals. He played 25 matches that season. His amazing year was rewarded with his first Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Trophy. This award is for Melbourne's best and fairest player.
In 2019, Max won his second best and fairest award. He shared it with his teammate Clayton Oliver. He also earned his third All-Australian selection.
Captaincy and Premiership Glory
Max Gawn became the captain of the Melbourne Football Club before the 2020 season. That year, the Demons just missed out on playing in the finals.
The 2021 season was incredible for Max and the Demons. They won their first nine games. They stayed at the top of the ladder for most of the season. Before the finals, Melbourne needed to beat Geelong at their home ground. Max led a huge comeback after being seven goals down. He took a mark and kicked a goal after the siren. This gave Melbourne the minor premiership for the first time since 1964.
A few weeks later, Max played against Geelong again in the preliminary final. He kicked a career-best five goals!
On 25 September 2021, Max captained Melbourne to win their first AFL premiership in 57 years. The Grand Final win was against the Western Bulldogs. Max's leadership and ruck skills were key to their huge 74-point victory. He was named the All-Australian captain for 2021.
Continued Success and Legacy
The Melbourne captain had another successful year in 2024. Even though his club did not make the finals, Max was named in the All-Australian team for the seventh time. This is the most by any ruckman in history. It is also the most by any Demons player.
Max returned to his best form in 2025. He won his second Frank 'Checker' Hughes Medal against Richmond. The next week, he had a personal-best 35 disposals against West Coast. This showed he was still the best ruckman in the competition. Max's long career has led to talks about him being one of the greatest AFL ruckmen ever. Former Essendon ruckman Simon Madden said Max "is getting on, but he’s still playing great footy". At the end of the 2025 season, Max was named in the All-Australian team for a record-equalling eighth time.
Max Gawn has played 258 games and kicked 123 goals for Melbourne up to Round 11, 2026.
Honours and Achievements
Team Achievements
- AFL premiership player (Melbourne): 2021 (c) (as captain)
- AFL minor premiership: 2021
- McClelland Trophy (Melbourne): 2021 (c), 2023
Individual Awards
- AFL premiership captain: 2021
- 2× Frank 'Checker' Hughes Medal: 2024, 2025
- Melbourne captain: 2020–
- AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Award: 2018
- 8× All-Australian team: 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 (c), 2022, 2024, 2025
- 3x Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Trophy: 2018, 2019, 2025
- Neale Daniher Trophy: 2016
