Melbourne captain Max Gawn has downplayed suggestions of a rift with coach Simon Goodwin, after Goodwin revealed the star ruckman had been dealing with personal issues.
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03-25, 2025Goodwin's vague answer stemmed from Gawn being thoroughly outplayed by Kangaroos ruckman Tristan Xerri in Melbourne's 59-point thrashing at the hands of the Kangaroos on Sunday. Coach Goodwin has received some criticism for, in some ways, airing Gawn's personal matters publicly.
Gawn subsequently defended Goodwin, revealing a family member has been battling an "illness" for the past two years. He said the situation had escalated in the past three to four weeks, but the relative's condition was now "stable." "I love that my coach loves me, and it clearly shows he cares," he said on Triple M's _Mick in the Morning_ program on Tuesday.
Gawn continued, explaining, "He's 100 per cent right, there is a reason why some players aren't performing. I was off on the weekend, I got myself in a good enough state to play, but I just got beaten. I won't use it as an excuse, but I understand what my coach is doing. He's like a father figure to me, he's showing love, he's showing care, and I appreciate it."
Gawn stated that there was "no issue" between him and his coach, but the pair had an extensive conversation on Monday about the press conference. "I can clearly see what he was trying to do, he was trying to show love, support, care, and I don't mind it. I spoke to that family member yesterday, and they don't mind it, so it's OK," he said. "I think if everyone went back to the start of the press conference, we probably would have just said I got beaten by Xerri, but I don't mind how it's played out either."
Gawn added, "If I was struggling, I would clearly take time away from football, but I've got great people around me at the club and at home that are keeping me in a good spot." Despite the family member's health concerns being made public this weekend, Gawn said those close to him at Melbourne have been aware of the situation for some time. "I haven't been hiding it," he said. "Yeah, I haven't been walking into Triple M's morning radio show saying, 'My family member has an illness,' but I'm also free to talk about it within the walls of the footy club. That's important, and it's probably keeping me in a good spot throughout this time because I'm having open conversations with people close to me within the football club."
Gawn is set to play on Saturday when the 0-2 Demons take on the Gold Coast Suns at the MCG, looking for their first win of the season. This match is crucial for Melbourne early in the season.
