Max Gawn admits he is battling a knee injury after a centre-square collision with St Kilda ruckman Paddy Ryder on Sunday.

Gawn went in for scans on Monday after a clash of knees against Ryder that also saw him stumble and fall as the pair exited the stoppage.

The Melbourne star ruckman lined up for a long shot for goal only a minute later but instead passed the ball off.

He spent much of the game forward after the contest in the dying minutes of the first half, but was able to play the game out.

Ruckmen including Brodie Grundy and Marc Pittonet have suffered recent PCL sprains but Gawn will be hopeful he has not suffered the same collision-based injury.

The fact he was able to play the game out would indicate even if he has suffered damage to his PCL he might be able to play through the injury.

Give him a few weeks to recover fully, play Majak

Perfect time to rest him and hope it does the trick

Luke Jackson can easily step up into the Number 1 ruck role.  

See how Maxy pulls up after a week off and if he is uninjured he can come back for the North game

according to the article he’s having scans today. Let’s pray it’s minor. 

As Goody says, take no risks. Cramped up in a plane for 4 hours each way will not help.

Certainly not worth taking the risk to Perth the Weid can come in to give Jacko a hand in the ruck

Played out the game, no strapping and carried Tmac off the ground on his shoulders after the game.

All signs indicate this is hopefully just a precaution and its minor. He might have woken up sore this morning.

Side note I was at the game and really felt like the saints made him earn it. He's often sat on/collapsed on after coming to ground post marking contest but I noticed it happening a little more often yesterday and a few of them you could see him looking slow and sore to get up. 

Would like to see a bit more protection for him in marking contests. A lot of the time because of his size he is often the only one to go up against two opponents with everyone else staying down. He will either mark or half the contest giving us a spare for crumbing, a strategy thats worked incredibly well and a credit to Max. However I would like to see more players attempting to bump his man or opposition off their line/run towards contested marking contests. I feel he could be supported better with that unnecessary extra physicality in the air at times, especially early on this season. At 30 yrs old now the way he plays, the physical toll will become more evident and recovery will be harder.

29 minutes ago, Rod Grinter Riot Squad said:

Give him a few weeks to recover fully, play Majak

Weid is a better pick, but weid has some games at AFL this season. Give a few to Draw to increase our depth.

7 minutes ago, Young Blood said:

Side note I was at the game and really felt like the saints made him earn it. He's often sat on/collapsed on after coming to ground post marking contest but I noticed it happening a little more often yesterday and a few of them you could see him looking slow and sore to get up. 

Would like to see a bit more protection for him in marking contests. A lot of the time because of his size he is often the only one to go up against two opponents with everyone else staying down. He will either mark or half the contest giving us a spare for crumbing, a strategy thats worked incredibly well and a credit to Max. However I would like to see more players attempting to bump his man or opposition off their line/run towards contested marking contests. I feel he could be supported better with that unnecessary extra physicality in the air at times, especially early on this season. At 30 yrs old now the way he plays, the physical toll will become more evident and recovery will be harder.

Without getting off topic if Max received the same protection as the St. Kilda forwards yesterday he would have had about 5 extra free kicks.

Want the big man cherry ripe for September to hold the cup up again 

If he is to travel to Perth, at least get him a private jet fitted out with a king sized bed

17 minutes ago, Young Blood said:

Side note I was at the game and really felt like the saints made him earn it. He's often sat on/collapsed on after coming to ground post marking contest but I noticed it happening a little more often yesterday and a few of them you could see him looking slow and sore to get up. 

Would like to see a bit more protection for him in marking contests. A lot of the time because of his size he is often the only one to go up against two opponents with everyone else staying down. He will either mark or half the contest giving us a spare for crumbing, a strategy thats worked incredibly well and a credit to Max. However I would like to see more players attempting to bump his man or opposition off their line/run towards contested marking contests. I feel he could be supported better with that unnecessary extra physicality in the air at times, especially early on this season. At 30 yrs old now the way he plays, the physical toll will become more evident and recovery will be harder.

This sounds like what Port did to him in the first game of 2019.

Do we need more of our players to protect Max more?

Hopefully the club takes those issues to the AFL.

Re: attacks on Maxie.

More often than not, Maxie is in a contest with other Melbourne team mates. It is as if the coach wants to make sure that the oppos don't get the ball so he crowds every contest. In a pack it is easy for Maxie to get hammered.

Let Maxie lead on his own one out and keep the packs off him. Spread the tall timber to confuse and confound the oppos.

 

Scroll down on this page as there is a short interview video with Max.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl

He says he woke up feeling fine this morning.  General issues not PCL.  He will be pushing to get ok to play WCE this week.

A relief to hear all that even if he doesn't go to Perth.

Edited May 9, 20223 yr by Lucifers Hero

He'll be 31 in December and has had 2 or 3 knee reco's at 208cm, think the knee will be giving him issues on and off more regularly as he gets older. Something we'll potentially have to get used to 

4 minutes ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Scroll down on this page as there is a short interview video with Max.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl

He says he woke up feeling fine this morning.  General issues not PCL.  He will be pushing to get ok to play next week.

A relief to hear all that even if he doesn't go to Perth.

He is literally the best guy to listen to in footy. Just so happy and relaxed. 
It definitely doesn’t sound that bad and if they even suspected a PCL he would be on crutches for sure. 
Still reckon he takes a week off and doesn’t do that god awful trip to Perth. 

If Max doesnt get up, the next #1ruck on the list is Daw, not Weids.  He would be next in for that role.  Suspect max will be OK and the scan is precautionary only.

2 minutes ago, buck_nekkid said:

If Max doesnt get up, the next #1ruck on the list is Daw, not Weids.  He would be next in for that role.  Suspect max will be OK and the scan is precautionary only.

The one major personnel issue that Melbourne has with its playing list is in the ruck. 

If Max is injured, we don’t have anyone on our list to replace him. Daw pulled out of yesterday’s Casey game and he also missed out three week’s ago. We could be in strife if Max has to miss for more than one or two weeks.

7 minutes ago, buck_nekkid said:

If Max doesnt get up, the next #1ruck on the list is Daw, not Weids.  He would be next in for that role.  Suspect max will be OK and the scan is precautionary only.

Disagree. Jackson into No. 1 ruck spot, Weid into the forward/ruck position. 

Jackson to ruck 80% 

15 minutes ago, buck_nekkid said:

If Max doesnt get up, the next #1ruck on the list is Daw, not Weids.  He would be next in for that role.  Suspect max will be OK and the scan is precautionary only.

Daw won’t play ahead of Weideman so you can forget that dream

When can we sound the 'everythings ok' alarm?

57 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Without getting off topic if Max received the same protection as the St. Kilda forwards yesterday he would have had about 5 extra free kicks.

Only 5?

After that pathetic free to king against petty 20 metres out fro goal, I said to mate that if that was the threshold for a free, and it was consistently applied, Max would get 15 frees a game.

It's a bloody joke what oppo players get away with in terms of belting Max.

Apparently the head is sacrosanct.

Unless your name is Gawn.

Jackson will handle 80% ruck load if TMAC and Brown can ruck the fwd line. We may be able to bring Weideman in if Lever is out, and trial him down back, and have him ruck the back line. Something like that. 

Daw was brought to the club as insurance if Max went down. From what I've seen, Daw has dominated at Casey, so if fit, deserves his chance. He'd be up against WAFL standard ruckmen, and I believe he'd dominate.

Daw could be spend 60% game time as no.1 ruck, and no time resting up forward. Jackson would spend 40% as a ruckman, and 30% time as 2nd ruck/forward. 

I hate flirting with form, and I don't think that the Brown, T. Mac, Weid forward line works, even with Weid playing backup ruckman.