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Does Goodwin sacking spell the end for Max Gawn?
SEN • August 5th, 2025 11:38 am
Simon Goodwin’s shock sacking from his role as Melbourne coach could spell the end of the line at the club for star ruckman Max Gawn, according to Luke Hodge.
It is no secret the pair have an incredibly close coach-captain relationship, with Gawn describing Goodwin as “a father figure” earlier this season when he disclosed a personal battle.
The seven-time All-Australian has publicly backed his coach on numerous occasions amid years of speculation and pressure.
The unity they have shown cannot be questions, but with a new coach on the horizon, Hodge believes that for the first time in possibly his entire career, Gawn will be second-guessing his future.
“From the outside he (Gawn) will be a broken man because of the time and effort he has put into what has been created,” Hodge said on SEN's Whateley. “From afar their relationship looked a strong coach-captain relationship.
“There’s going to be murmurs and tough conversations and his mindset now will be ‘am I going to have a relationship with the next coach coming in, will I be able to lead as I am’?
“This is the hardest thing for an existing captain going from one coach to a new person that could turn the club upside a down and as a skipper you don’t know where you stand.
“When did (Jack) Silvagni contemplate going to Collingwood? When the door was ajar and Collingwood said we might have a contract.
“Is this a door opening for Max Gawn? He would have had no thought of ever leaving Melbourne. They guided him as a young fella into this absolute star of our game.
“With a new coach coming in, is this his time to say, ‘is there a premiership somewhere else for me to go and play?’.
“It won’t be an easy decision for him, but he has to talk to the club who will want to keep him.”
The Demons currently sit 12th on the ladder with a 7-13 win-loss record.
They beat West Coast by 83 points on Saturday in what we now know was Goodwin’s last game.
His departure won’t only impact Gawn’s future but every single member of the Demons squad will be thinking about their future.
“The new coach coming in might have other thoughts or want to develop a different system," Hodge added.
“When you lose a coach, everyone on that lists will be wondering what it means for them and their career moving forward?
“For younger players is an opportunity for the older players you wonder if you’re in their plans.”
