AFL
1 year ago
Don't overthink the All-Australian ruck position as Max Gawn puts together incredible campaign
By Nic Negrepontis
The debate surrounding the All-Australian ruck position has ramped up as we approach the end of the season.
North Melbourne’s Tristan Xerri, Brisbane’s Oscar McInerney, St Kilda’s Rowan Marshall and Sydney’s Brodie Grundy have all been mentioned as potential candidates.
But Champion Data’s Daniel Hoyne believes the general consensus is overlooking just how good Max Gawn has been this season.
The Melbourne champion is a six-time All-Australian and Hoyne feels people have become too accustomed to his greatness.
“I think it’s natural that you get used to either a team’s performance or a player’s performance when they’ve performed at such a high level for a long time and it almost becomes boring,” Hoyne told SEN’s Sportsday.
“When someone else comes along in that same position and is having an off the charts year, it gets appreciated more than the elite performer who has done it for seven or eight years.
“We’ve talked a lot about Tristan Xerri this year and he is having a fantastic season. He is a top 50 player in the competition off our new ratings system, but for god’s sake Max Gawn is having the best season he has had in six years.
“I know it was off broadway this game, but his performance in Melbourne’s loss to Port Adelaide was unbelievable.
“Some of his intercept marks are literally on the goal line and he’s out-marking Charlie Dixon and doing things we take for granted.
“Xerri deserves the accolades that he gets. He has had a fantastic season and will potentially get recognised in the All-Australian squad and I’m sure Max Gawn will be in the squad as well, but I just wanted to put it out there that what Max is doing, we shouldn’t be taking it for granted and assuming that it’s expected.
“It’s a little bit like Jack Sinclair. He is having an extremely good year. Two years ago he came from nowhere, but now it’s almost expected.”
Gawn win 30 hit-outs, 22 disposals and took five marks in the side’s narrow loss to Port Adelaide in Round 22.
