Melbourne skipper Max Gawn predicts big things on the horizon for the club after re-signing for a further four years.
The star ruckman says he would be stupid to leave the AFL club now.
Gawn had the option of testing the free-agency market with his previous contract due to expire at the end of this year.
But the 29-year-old captain predicts the Demons are on the verge of something special, and he does not want to miss out.
“I’ve got a fair bit of faith in where the club’s going,” Gawn told Melbourne’s website.
“We’ve got some really good, elite players now in the competition, and that, mirrored with some really good young talent…it’s a really good mix.
“It makes me really excited to be a part of this club for the next few years to hopefully achieve something great.
“There wasn’t really an option for me to leave in my own mental state. I love the line of ‘one-club player’, but it’s more the team we have right now.
“You’d be a very, very stupid person to leave at 29 after doing all that hard work, to miss the exciting part that we have in front of us.”
Gawn, who underwent two knee reconstructions early in his career, has notched 134 games for the Demons since being drafted with pick No.34 in 2009.
He has won four All Australians and two best-and-fairest awards during his career, but it is team success that he is craving the most.
Gawn has only played three finals – all in 2018 – and the pressure is on Melbourne to qualify this year after flopping over the past two seasons.
He said he never truly considered exploring free agency.
“Free agency, I don’t even know what it is really, I wouldn’t even know how it works,” said Gawn, who has also built a reputation for being one of the most affable players in the competition.
“Melbourne showed a fair bit of faith in me from the get-go and I’ve been on a little journey.”
Micko
Roar Rookie
WB 2016
Chanon
Guest
Gawn is a wonderful servant for the Demons & his prediction of great things to come is a pipe dream at best. His club & his supporters know to well that making the 8 & winning finals are paramount but the last thing they want is to fall over with a 1-4 in the final 5 rounds & miss out once again. That would leave heavy scars that would be hard to erase!
Aransan
Roar Rookie
It is too easy to blame the coach. The backup and support they are given is all important. Hardwick was under the gun three premierships ago.
Gary
Roar Rookie
Good on him. Hopefully they can make finals again, but i don't think they will go to far with their current coach.
adamkiwi
Roar Rookie
Nice, good news.
Aransan
Roar Rookie
I hope the Demons aren’t paying him much more than $800k a season, no doubt he could get $1m elsewhere.