NEALE Daniher Trophy winner Max Gawn says his best-on-ground performance in Melbourne’s 46-point win over Collingwood at the MCG on Queen’s Birthday was not his typical display.

Gawn, who had a career-best 27 disposals, won 31 hit outs and kicked three goals, said he approached Collingwood opponent Brodie Grundy in a different manner to when he came up against him in round four.

“This was a different [performance]. This wasn’t my marking self,” he told Melbourne TV.

“I didn’t necessarily take marks around the ground, but I knew I had to follow up and I knew that’s what Grundy brings to Collingwood.

“Last time, I almost let Grundy get too much of the ball and I knew that I’d like to try and get to the ball first, and I was able to do it.”

Gawn said after an inconsistent start by the team, when Melbourne trailed by 12 points at quarter-time, it hit its straps to win each term.  

“We were probably a little bit off the contest in the first quarter, but the second quarter was our brand of footy,” he said.

“The third quarter, they came back at us and we knew that to be able to match that, we’d have to bring our contest again.

“We matched them again in the third quarter and in the fourth quarter we were able to do it.”

Gawn said Melbourne played with “23 players” – referencing the influence of Daniher on the day – and added that it was great to end a nine-year losing streak on Queen’s Birthday.

“In my first year, we lost by a point, when Matthew Bate and Ricky Petterd had a bit of a stuff-up in the last 20 seconds and since then it’s been all Collingwood,” he said.

“It was good to get this hoodoo done, but I’m sure there are a couple of more hoodoos we’ve still got to get.

“It was good to get a win.”