Melbourne skipper Max Gawn has found himself back in the headlines, this time on the back of a recent quarter-time exchange with Port Adelaide coach, Ken Hinkley.
Vision emerged on Tuesday’s episode of The Agenda Setters showing Gawn and Hinkley shouting at one another during Sunday’s clash at the Adelaide Oval, a moment Gawn has reportedly laughed off as a bit of banter between two old foes.
“Gawn gives away a free kick with 10 seconds left in the first quarter,” AFL reporter Mitch Cleary said on Channel 7.
“Gawn has words with those in the direction of the Port Adelaide coaching staff, and it’s his teammate on this occasion, Jake Lever, who has to usher Gawn and drag him away from the incident.
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“I’ve spoken to both parties today and the Power believe this is just ongoing banter between Ken and Max that they’ve had in the past.”
Gawn was caught up in a similar full time exchange with teammate Steven May on the King’s Birthday, a moment both players reportedly moved past after engaging in some push and shove following the one-point loss to Collingwood.
"Gawn has words with those in the direction of the Port Adelaide coaching staff."
— 7AFL (@7AFL) June 17, 2025
Port Adelaide and Melbourne have downplayed this interaction between Max Gawn and Power staff 👇 pic.twitter.com/ldKLgYrEGl
Hinkley, meanwhile, is no stranger to crossing the line between coaching and playing, famously engaging with Hawthorn skipper James Sicily after last year’s Semi-Final win, in which he was eventually fined $20,000.
While it’s far from a rivalry, the bad blood between the Dees and Power dates back to 2019 after Port Adelaide publicly declared they were targeting Gawn in both a physical and verbal nature.
Gawn, who had a rare poor game during their Round 1 clash, was bullied by Scott Lycett for most of the game, with a $2,000 fine also handed out to Tom Jonas for rough conduct on Melbourne’s captain.