A lack of culture was on display from Melbourne on Friday night, a major hole that David King believes will linger for the coming weeks.
King wasn’t particularly concerned with the Demons’ Round 10 four-point loss to Port Adelaide at a rain-soaked Adelaide Oval, but more the lack of defence for captain Max Gawn.
Gawn was battered and bruised by a Power outfit desperate to knock the skipper off his game, blocking and pressuring the 31-year-old on the way to his worst statistical game of the season.
King lashed the Demons for a lack of support and went on to suggest it highlighted a culture issue within Simon Goodwin’s team.
“I was seriously disappointed with the lack of support for Max Gawn on the weekend and that goes back to who you are, not how you play... the absolute soul of who you are,” King began on SEN’s Whateley.
“This guy has been a father figure type leader for this whole group… that’s what he’s done and he’s cuddled them all, he’s challenged them all.
“He was challenged like no other on Friday night but a group of 23 coming at Max at every opportunity.
“They knew what was going on, I went and watched the tape, first half 14 times they bumped him. But it's not even that, it’s the fact they are going after one of ours, they’re going after our captain.
“We have to support because if it was us, he would support us.”
In comments reminiscent of Matthew Lloyd’s bombshell Dylan Shiel take after a Sydney game last year, King would also rather Gawn’s teammates give away a free kick or a goal than stand around without action.
Ken Hinkley details how Port went to work and shook Melbourne captain Max Gawn. #AFL #AFLPowerDees pic.twitter.com/7yMeEFX18F
— SEN 1116 (@1116sen) May 20, 2023
“Not one of them, not (Clayton) Oliver, not (Christian) Petracca, not (Angus) Brayshaw, not Steven May (defended him). Not good. That’s not how you build this impenetrable culture. I know he’s a big guy and can handle himself, but Port have done this before and they knew this was coming,” King continued.
“When Ollie Lord dropped the elbow in the middle of his back, they had to come from everywhere. When these things happen, it doesn’t matter if you give away a free kick, it doesn’t matter if you give away a goal because in the long run, they’re the things that build success, that we’ve got each other’s back and we’re not going to let these blokes… give it to our men. Were not going to let that happen.
“If it was Oliver on the deck, I guarantee you Max Gawn is over there in a heartbeat and throwing that guy to the ground.
Ollie Lord, a 4th gamer, has been getting stuck into Max Gawn, a premiership captain and great of the game all night. It's clearly a tactic employed by Hinkley to try and throw the ruckman off his game. #AFLPowerDees #Yartapuulti
— Power Nation (@PowerNationSEN) May 19, 2023
“I was seriously disappointed with that. And that’s going to take a little while to build back up I think.”
The loss moves Melbourne’s record to 7-3, although six wins have come against sides outside the top eight.
Despite getting within a goal of a team that’s now third on the ladder, King suggested there’s a number of question marks now on the Dees.
One of which is a hamstring injury to Clayton Oliver, a setback that could sideline the three-time All-Australian for up to a month.
“I think there are (questions about Melbourne),” King explained.
“If you look at their numbers, they’re distorted by a couple of beltings. I’m still big on the way they play… it’s going to be a long year playing that way.
“We talked about this through the pre-season, they had to stack their wins early which they did. They get to a point in the year they’ve lost Oliver for a few weeks, I think that’ll serve them well, they’ve got to find some other players to go through there and experiment a bit more.”