Big Maxxy Gawn

[nutbean 8,838]

A bit of love for the big bloke.

He can mark and good below his knees for someone 700 feet tall. I like that he thinks quickly and makes good decisions ( although he doesn't trust his own goal kicking).

He needs a little more muscle as he gets pushed a around a bit.

The big trick is to keep him fit and injury free.

Good impact for someone with limited preseason

[ILLDieADemon 804]

Defends with on hand and marks with other.

[Ted Lasso 19,568]

A couple of sensational taps, the one to Vince where he scored a goal was fantastic.

[Bang Bang Bang 5,851]

He was great, and while Jamar doesn't have the same presence around the ground as his golden years, his presence is definitely noticable too. Can't see Spencil getting a run any time soon.

[stevethemanjordan 6,952]

Having ruckmen that can offer more than just an 'admirable effort'.

I hope to god these two stay fit and keep Spencer out for the rest of the season as he literally offers the team nothing.

[Return to Glory 8,486]

Would love to see Max string some solid performances together. I remember his first game was full of promise. Effectively a new recruit.

[Return to Glory 8,486]

Having ruckmen that can offer more than just an 'admirable effort'.

I hope to god these two stay for and keep Spencer out for the rest of the season as he literally offers the team nothing.

Bit hard on Spencer Steve?

[chook fowler 19,744]

Max can take a mark and accumulate possessions. Poor old Spencil can't do either and that won't cut it in today's football

[RalphiusMaximus 6,111]

Max is an interesting one. Physically, he's not quite there yet which is understandable, but his tapwork is looking very good. The one great criticism of Jamar's rucking is that he always seems to drop the ball right at his feet. This is offset somewhat by his ability to tap it in pretty much any direction which is something other rucks have pointed to as one of his biggest strengths. Gawn has the ability to put the ball much further away which creates space for his mids as we saw with the Vince goal. THey actually look like a really good team with different strengths which must make it more difficult for opponents to set up for the stoppages.

[Return to Glory 8,486]

Max can take a mark and accumulate possessions. Poor old Spencil can't do either and that won't cut it in today's football

Chook, in the past few seasons we have written off Dunn and Pederson. Besides that, rucks take time.

[Dee Fan 3,247]

It's been so long since he actually played for Melbourne I'd forgotten what he added to the side; having both he and Jamar out for the better part of two seasons hasn't helped the side.

He worked well with Dawes yesterday staying in the square while Chris roamed further up the ground; it's nice to have two targets up forward that can mark the ball or at least bring it to ground and hold it in.

He will only get better as long as he can stay on the park.

[Deestroy All 14,266]

Max Gawn is a natural footballer. He moves like one, he disposes like one.

The likes of Spencer and Firzpatrick are projects, while popular blokes because of their battling efforts, reality is tall blokes coming from that far back are not likely to make it.

Big blokes that came from that far back like Cox, who is one in three hundred, or Jamar who took forever for one great season's return are rare to say the least.

Sadly for Spencer, the less our midfield sees of him the better off they are. Look at the difference an aging Jamar has made on return compared to what Spencer was offering (Jamar looks like he's been reinvented btw).

And first game back for Gawn was better than any of Spencer's and beaten only by Fitz's game against Sydney last year which was a one off.

Good teams can carry project big blokes, we're not a good team yet, and need to be more than competitive out of the middle.

We need Gawn's body to hold together.

For what it's worth, Max King is also a natural footballer from what I've seen, there's a bit to work with there.

[Demon Jack 7,155]

How good was that tap to Vince that led to a goal? And that one hander in the first? All class.

[DeeZee 7,463]

Gawn also takes more marks than Spencer, is quite an intelligent footballer, and frees up guys like Pedo and Dawes.

[stevethemanjordan 6,952]

Bit hard on Spencer Steve?

Sure, but I'm interested in seeing the MFC become a powerhouse club and for that to take place, we need to have a list full of contributors.

Again, I don't see the point in emotionally investing in individuals if we are to move forward as a club.

I'm just stating the truth. Spencer playing as our number one ruckman reduces our chances of winning games, significantly. That's why I hope Jamar and Gawn stay fit for the rest of the year.

[autocol 448]

I reckon Spencer has enough physical gifts to combine with his prodigious work-rate to mean he'll get there. I'm still backing him. We need him to step up in time for Jamar's retirement.

[titan_uranus 25,212]

The only thing I've seen in Spencer that suggests he'll make it is his aggression at the contest, especially stoppages.

He's not close to Gawn or Jamar in the ruck, he can't mark, and he can't kick.

I don't think he's going to make it, but I suppose as Jamar gets older, we'll need someone on the list to fill that void, and it's probably going to be him.

[autocol 448]

I think - whatever happens - we'll always look back with fondness to his "horse collar" tackle on Jeff Garlett earlier this year. That was a sight to behold.

[Moonshadow 17,678]

I didn't realise big Max could take a decent mark. Those arms like giant testicles (apologies to Jack Dyer) pulled in a few really good grabs yesterday. One on the half back flank in the last qtr that stopped a Rich forward play was great. I had just become conditioned to our rucks not taking big, critical marks over the last 7 years. Didn't know this was a feature of Max's game. Good on him.

[CityDee 738]

Maxy!!!! AFL Cult figure in the making .

[rpfc 28,966]

He's a weapon. Him staying fit gives Jamar a massive chop out and lengthen's his career IMO.

The loss of Clark was brutal but Gawn being able to help in the ruck and be such a massive target mitigates the loss quite a bit.

[P-man 13,367]

That snap at goal.

Excited about him and Russian for the next season or two, but the Max attack in a few years time (King and Gawn) is also going to be a beautiful thing.

[Maldonboy38 6,420]

Gawn's tap work is much better than I remembered it - he sets up play about 4 metre away from the ruck contest. This is not easy to do, and he has the height to impose this act on a stoppage.

Having him play half his time as a full forward could be a great bonus to our starting 18. He can take a mark, and with his height he will cause some major headaches for backline coaches. Why the Tiges let him go for so many one-one-one marks is beyond me. Third man up would have given Richmond many backline possessions if they had half a brain to think this through.

[JackVineyForPresident 310]

Love him, always makes me laugh.

Such a cheeky smile when Dom's ball bounced sideways yesterday for a goal

[ChaserJ 5,189]

He's a weapon. Him staying fit gives Jamar a massive chop out and lengthen's his career IMO.

The loss of Clark was brutal but Gawn being able to help in the ruck and be such a massive target mitigates the loss quite a bit.

The fact that he is mobile and can take a contested grab allows us the luxury of playing a first ruck quality player up forward. Flow on effect is that an under sized kpp like Cam Pederson doesn't need to take on ruck duties.

Still can't believe Richmond subbed Hampson out so early leaving Vickery and Griffiths to ruck against Jamar and Gawn. Handed us the clearances on a platter. The Gawn tap-assist to Vince was a beauty, but given he was rucking against Dustin Martin in that contest, you'd expect he would win the tap pretty easily.