Clash Demons skipper 'can't get his mind off'

2 years ago 400

Melbourne skipper Max Gawn has opened up connected his excitement for the ruck conflict against his "close mate" Stefan Martin up of tomorrow's AFL expansive final.

While the match-up has been headlined by the conflict of the 2 teams' all-star midfields which diagnostic 4 All-Australians, Gawn says his clash with Martin, a erstwhile teammate, volition beryllium "a conflict wrong a battle".

The match-up betwixt the 2 large men pits Martin against his aged understudy, with the brace sharing a locker country unneurotic during the archetypal 2 years of Gawn's career.

Martin was yet traded to the Brisbane Lions wherever helium became 1 of the AFL's astir potent large men, portion Gawn has since blossomed into the league's pre-eminent ruckman.

"Stef's astir been 1 of my most-played rucks implicit the journey," Gawn said of his match-up against Martin.

"We rucked unneurotic against each different for 2 oregon 3 years erstwhile helium was astatine the Dees.

"I'd inactive telephone him a adjacent mate truthful I'm truly excited for that archetypal centre bounce. I can't get my caput disconnected that archetypal centre bounce conscionable due to the fact that he's an absorbing quality and he's a existent adjacent friend.

"We've been texting this week and he's specified a unsocial ruck. He plays undersized but he's truthful strong, truthful it's going to beryllium a battle. Obviously Tim [English] coming successful determination arsenic good astatine times and I've got Luke [Jackson], truthful it'll beryllium a conflict wrong a battle.

"I'm not definite if everyone's looking astatine the ruck conflict arsenic the centrepiece of that game, but I surely deliberation it's a genuine conflict wrong a battle."

Much has been made of however the Bulldogs volition antagonistic Gawn, who was pivotal with 5 goals successful Melbourne's preliminary last triumph implicit Geelong.

Some experts person suggested the Bulldogs should onslaught the Demons prima with off-ball hits arsenic Port Adelaide did successful a contention backmost successful 2019, but Gawn suggested helium is acceptable for immoderate unsmooth worldly sent his way.

"You've ever got to hole what different teams propulsion astatine you," helium said.

"But whether they spell done Christian [Petracca], Clayton [Oliver], oregon whether they don't bash thing astatine all, there's each sorts of games that mightiness beryllium played travel Saturday.

"I'm not excessively fussed. If I person nary power connected the crippled and we win, I'm inactive a beauteous blessed man."

Asked however he'd prepared for the biggest lucifer of his 158-game career, Gawn admitted that helium had sought proposal from ex-players, including erstwhile teammate Jordan Lewis.

"It's been a unsocial 4 weeks with lone that 1 crippled successful there, truthful there's tons of down clip to speech to people," helium said.

"Jordan Lewis is idiosyncratic that I've reached retired to who's played successful 4 flags himself and I've got a mates of different friends that person played successful expansive finals.

"You scope retired to arsenic overmuch arsenic finals acquisition arsenic you can, but successful the extremity I'm going to bash it my way.

"I'm not going to bash it the mode these radical person told maine to bash it, I'm going to bash this week the mode I privation to bash this week.

"I'm going to fto my teammates bash the week that they privation to bash this week and hopefully that recipe, on with what [Melbourne manager Simon Goodwin] has told us, is what's going to get america to clasp the cupful up connected Saturday."

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