Melbourne are in the midst of off-field turbulence and a mini on-field slump but captain Max Gawn is adamant the wheels haven’t fallen off.
The AFL’s reigning premiers face a potentially season-defining Queen’s Birthday clash with Collingwood.
Less than three weeks ago, the Demons were unbeaten and perfectly on track to achieve their publicly-stated desire of claiming a premiership in front of their fans at the MCG.
They have since lost to Fremantle and Sydney and been rocked by Steven May and Jake Melksham’s alcohol-fuelled fight in a Prahran restaurant on Sunday night.
Star defender May was due to return against Collingwood but was suspended for Monday’s blockbuster for drinking alcohol while in concussion protocols, while Tom McDonald is out until later in the season after foot surgery.
Melksham is also unavailable, requiring surgery after his hand, which he hurt in the fight, became infected.
“No, the wheels haven’t fallen off,” Gawn told reporters on Wednesday.
“I’m completely comfortable with where we are from a performance point of view.
“Obviously we’ve lost the last couple. The Fremantle game was a complete hiding. We didn’t play our best footy at all and that was a shock.
“Then the Sydney game we actually felt like we got back to some of our better basics in football and that was a ripping game, I think both teams played some some ripping footy and Sydney were able to get some crucial goals late.
“So I don’t think we’re out of form at all.”
(Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
May’s absence couldn’t come at a much worse time.
Swingman McDonald’s injury reduces defensive cover and also magnifies Melbourne’s forward line issues with Ben Brown goalless in three games and Sam Weideman dropped.
“We are getting pretty thin and (especially) with Tom usually being the one that does cover for Steven,” Gawn said.
“So it hurts and when we talk about the punishments given, I think that hurts Steven a lot as well, knowing that he’s putting a lot of pressure on the likes of Harry Petty, Adam Tomlinson, Jake Lever, maybe (potential debutant) Daniel Turner, Jayden Hunt and Michael Hibberd.
“These sort of guys are going to have to step up.
“Then in the forward line obviously, all us talls have been struggling to kick goals. So there’s a bit of pressure on us talls to be able to kick them as well.”
GWS forward Bobby Hill is in “good spirits” and recovering well from last week’s surgery following his testicular cancer diagnosis.
The 22-year-old is out of contract at the end of the AFL season and there is no clarity around his playing future.
But his health remains the priority as Giants players and staff rally around him.
“The operation went really well, which is fantastic,” GWS interim coach Mark McVeigh said.
“From here we just continue to monitor where he’s at and continue to listen to the medical experts in this area.
“The players have got right around him and I’ve spoken to him a few times.
“He’s in good spirits, which is great, and he’ll take his time at home to relax and recover with his young family.
“When he feels like he’s ready to go he’ll come into the club at some stage, but right now we’re giving him some space and all the support (we can).”
While Hill is sidelined for an indefinite period, the Giants are set to welcome back some big names in the coming weeks.
All-Australian pair Nick Haynes (illness) and Lachie Whitfield (ankle) will return against North Melbourne on Sunday, while Callan Ward is expected to tick the final boxes under concussion protocols.
Phil Davis (hamstring) and Tim Taranto (back) could be back in action the following week.
McVeigh has led GWS to one win and one loss since taking the reins from Leon Cameron last month and is excited about what the second half of the season could bring.
But the Giants (3-8) face a massive battle to fight their way back into the finals race.
“We’re pretty buoyant about where our group is and how they’re feeling, and also the potential of players coming back over the next few weeks excites everyone,” McVeigh said.
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir believes his decision to suspend in-form forward Michael Frederick for a week will help the club achieve future success.
Frederick will miss Saturday’s AFL clash with Hawthorn at Optus Stadium after breaking the team’s alcohol rules by drinking during a six-day break between games.
The 22-year-old has been a key figure in the club’s recent wins over top-two sides Melbourne and Brisbane, and Longmuir believes Frederick’s absence against Hawthorn will hurt Fremantle’s chances of winning a third straight game.
Longmuir said the decision to ban Frederick was made for the greater good of the team.
“I said to the players yesterday, it might hurt our chances of winning this weekend by not having Freddy out there, but walking past these things will stop us winning in the future,” Longmuir said.
“We need to step on it. He’s going to learn a tough lesson. He’s made a bad decision.
“He clearly stepped outside the behaviours we accept, and he knew that.
“He owned up to it, fessed up to it, apologised really sincerely. I know he’ll learn from it and come back a better person and player.”
Longmuir said it was important for players to abstain from alcohol during shortened breaks between games.
“Drinking on a six-day break is just not great for recovery,” Longmuir said.
“It’s a short turnaround in AFL footy, and we need everyone to recover the best they can.
“That (drinking) doesn’t allow you to do it. That’s been a rule, it’s probably a rule at most footy clubs, and he’s clearly stepped outside of that.”
Fremantle are set to be bolstered by the return of Nat Fyfe, Michael Walters, and Sam Switkowski against the Hawks.
But forward Matt Taberner won’t be seen until after the mid-season bye due to a lingering back injury.
“It probably just hasn’t responded the way we would have liked and the way it has in the past,” Longmuir said.
“He’s just been a bit interrupted this year, in and out. He hasn’t got the continuity we’d like.
“We have to make sure we get that right, because he’s a really important part of our team and can make a big difference for us.”
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