Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Melbourne captain Max Gawn is confident he will finish his career at the Demons but understands the ever-shifting landscape of list management.
Gawn will enter the final year of his contract in 2027 and is yet to open extension discussions with the club.
The game’s greatest ruckman is now without his entire 2021 premiership midfield after Jack Viney was ushered into finishing his career at West Coast.
Gawn praised the ruthless decisions made by list manager Tim Lamb and coach Steven King in recent seasons.
But he remains eager to finish his decorated career as a one-club player.
“I’m getting old, nah, I’m pretty keen at Melbourne, I understand Vines would’ve said the same thing 12 months ago,” Gawn said.
“I’ve just applauded Lamby and Kingy and if I’m the one that has to move on next year and I still think there’s footy ahead of me, then that conversation will come.
“But right now it does look like my finish will be at the Demons.”
When asked if he’d field a phone call from Tasmania given his contract timing, Gawn joked he is open to pitches on and off the field.
“My phone is always open, I am keen to jump in the commentary box with (Matt Keenan) and commentate the Tour de France at some point as well,” he joked.
“If SBS want to jump into my phone … (but) I am pretty keen to finish up at Melbourne.”
Gawn spoke as an ambassador for the TAC People’s Ride in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race event.
The nine-time All Australian is an avid cyclist and believes it separates him from other players during pre-season.
“The high performance managers won’t like me saying this but I feel like all 18 (clubs) are relatively the same,” Gawn said.
“You see a lot of footballers from different teams doing the same sessions together over this period – there’s a lot of friends in the game.
“I feel like we’re all getting the same amount of kilometres in, the same amount of speed in, so what is the extra sort of difference you can get?
“I actually think training with some adversity, maybe packing up overseas, trying to find an athletics track, trying to find a different gym, trying to run up a hill.
“Throwing something I think has put me in good stead, to be honest, because other than that, I am doing the same program as every other ruckman in the competition.”
