AFL star Max Gawn and wife Jessica welcome first child

Melbourne premiership captain Max Gawn and his wife Jessica are celebrating the birth of their first child.

The popular ruckman announced the arrival of his son George Oliver Gawn on Thursday afternoon, taking to Instagram to joke that “Mum was best on (ground), closely followed by George”.

Max Gawn celebrates birth of first child

Gawn’s premiership teammates, Jake Lever, Christian Petracca and Steven May, were among those to congratulate him on social media, while NRL star Jahrome Hughes, AFL legend Brendan Fevola and radio personality Bridget Hustwaite also sent their best wishes.

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The birth of his first child caps off what has been a remarkable year for Gawn.

Last month, the 29-year-old led Melbourne to its first premiership victory since 1964.

The Demons defeated the Western Bulldogs by 74 points in the 2021 grand final, which was played in Perth amid Melbourne’s Covid-19 lockdown.

Gawn also enjoyed a stellar season on an individual level.

He won a higher percentage of hit-outs and recorded more disposals than any other ruckman this season, leading the second-most prolific ruck by almost 100 touches.

Gawn also earned his fifth All-Australian blazer and became the first Melbourne player to captain the All-Australian team since 1961.

His season was punctuated by several memorable on-field moments. In the final round of the regular season, Gawn kicked a goal after the siren against Geelong to ensure Melbourne would claim victory and the minor premiership.

When the Demons next met the Cats, in the preliminary final, Gawn kicked a career-high five goals as his side charged into the decider for the first time since 2000.

Having missed out on the chance to do so in the days after the grand final, the Demons are scheduled to celebrate their premiership victory with fans at the MCG on December 5.