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Clark Keating carries the moniker of Mr September but Max Gawn delivered a performance on Thursday night that drew an admiring nod from the Brisbane Lions premiership ruckman. He just won\u2019t relinquish his nickname just yet.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to win multiple premierships in a row for that, don\u2019t you?\u201d Keating said with a laugh. He was part of Brisbane\u2019s three-peat from 2001-03.<\/p>\n
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Max Gawn took on Mason Cox on Thursday.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Paul Rovere<\/cite><\/p>\n Gawn became the first ruckman to have 10 clearances and 10 inside-50s in a game. Not only that, he became one of only 15 players to have delivered those stats as well as getting more than 20 touches (he had 27). Every one of the other 14 players to do that were midfielders, with not a ruckman in sight.<\/p>\n He also had 11 hit-outs to advantage and four contested marks, so by the numbers at the very least this was as strong as it gets from a ruckman.<\/p>\n He was, for many, the best on ground at the MCG in the loss to Collingwood.<\/p>\n \u201cMax Gawn played one of greatest ruck games that I\u2019ve ever, ever seen,\u201d Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd said on 3AW.<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels like Max Gawn versus Collingwood at the moment \u2026 He\u2019s been everywhere. I don\u2019t know how much else he can do,\u201d David King said in Fox\u2019s coverage.<\/p>\n Keating was enthusiastic about Gawn\u2019s game for the fact he did all of that while ostensibly being one out against Collingwood\u2019s two rucks, Mason Cox and Darcy Cameron, but admitted Gawn was shaded by Cox in the first 15 minutes of the game when Collingwood took an important lead.<\/p>\n Max Gawn was outstanding in the qualifying final but needs to back up his form against Carlton.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AFL Photos<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cCox did have the better of him early but didn\u2019t have the engine to go with him [Gawn]. Rotating rucks on Gawn he is just licking his lips when the first bloke goes off,\u201d Keating said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is 209 centimetres tall and 110 kilos \u2013 he is an amazing athlete. He runs all day, the only other person who could do that was Dean Cox.<\/p>\n \u201cHis ability to get his hands on the ball, especially at boundary throw-ins… and then he is so quick to get the ball to his boot.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was really important for him as captain and ruckman to have that sort of performance, especially for a team like Melbourne after they won the flag in \u201921 but went out quickly last year.\u201d<\/p>\n It was a very impressive performance, especially as Gawn, himself, acknowledged before the game he was acutely aware that he needed to deliver after an underwhelming September last year.<\/p>\n On the day of the game last week, Gawn volunteered on his regular segment on Triple M that he was determined to have a superior finals series this year to last, and further to that that his team had been embarrassed by its straight-sets exit last year and was determined to atone.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are talking about our exit last year, which was humiliating. Certainly, my own performance internally I am making sure I do not go down that path again,\u201d Gawn said.<\/p>\n The captain at least delivered on his commitment to be vastly better than last year but after falling short against Collingwood the Demons remain vulnerable to a repeat quick exit from the finals were they to lose to Carlton this week. Not if Gawn has anything to say about it, though.<\/p>\n Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. <\/i><\/b>Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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