‘Worst days of my life’: Why Max Holmes’ pain might have been a blessing

3 months ago 22

Max Holmes didn’t get to enjoy Geelong’s 2022 premiership. Not the lead-in, or even the aftermath, as much as he was happy for his teammates.

But the fuel from missing out that day might have been the impetus for transforming him into a star.

Cats star Max Holmes knows what September heartbreak looks like.

The Cats’ midfield dasher was an aspirational then 30-gamer, who was starting to establish himself – but a horribly timed, minor hamstring injury was enough for coach Chris Scott to err on the side of caution and not pick him.

That decision proved an astute one, given Geelong pounded Sydney by 81 points for their 10th VFL/AFL flag, but Holmes admits his relationship with Scott needed to be repaired afterwards.

And while the 23-year-old’s grand final misfortune is intrinsically linked with his journey to this Saturday’s decider against reigning premiers the Brisbane Lions, it is actually preliminary finals that were the source of his heartache.

Holmes’ first chance to advance to a grand final in 2021 resulted in an 83-point hiding from eventual premiers Melbourne before he suffered that hamstring setback the next year, then struggled mightily with gastro in the lead-up to last year’s preliminary final loss to the Lions.

That’s why Friday night’s come-from-behind win over Hawthorn was so significant.

“It was the worst couple of days of my life,” Holmes told this masthead of his bout with gastro.

“Last year was as bad [as 2022], so it was almost like this year was just any other normal game and a clean slate. There were no concerns.

“I was a young guy, and I’d played 30 games by the time we were going to that granny, and we played in a prelim the year before, and I thought, ‘This is what it is at Geelong’ – and, well, honestly, it mostly has been. But then in 2023, we missed the finals, and I was like, ‘Jesus, what if I don’t get the opportunity again?’”

Asked how his previous grand final experience had impacted his career, Holmes was genuinely unsure as he mulled the question at Kardinia Park this week.

Holmes, whose mother Lee Naylor is a retired Olympic athlete, won the Cats’ club champion award last year and was shortlisted for All-Australian honours the past two seasons. He also inked a lucrative four-year contract extension in April last year after a bunch of rival clubs tried to lure him out of Geelong.

“It might have helped [my career by missing out]. It might have gone worse. It’s hard to know if I might have regressed if I played in that grand final,” he said.

“I guess I’ve played pretty well since then, so maybe it’s helped. But it was a pretty dark period for a little bit there, so I’m happy to be where I am now.”

Holmes is fit this time and subsequently far more relaxed. He’s among the 11 Geelong next-generation players who might win their first premiership this weekend.

Sam De Koning and Max Holmes at the 2022 grand final parade.

He has even briefly visualised what that moment might be like, although he is wary not to get ahead of himself.

“I don’t want to think about it or worry about it too much,” Holmes said. “I’m the kind of guy who takes one step at a time and worries about each day and each game on its merits.

“I’m just soaking in the week because I didn’t get to enjoy it last time. I was too focused on myself and trying to get up, so this time it is about embracing the week.”

Holmes’ full-time switch into the midfield is paying rich dividends for the Cats, as is his on-ball partnership with ex-Bulldog Bailey Smith, who finished third in this year’s Brownlow Medal count behind winner Matt Rowell and runner-up Nick Daicos.

“Bailey’s shared that running load this year, and he’s been really helpful in that regard,” Holmes said.

“Our midfield has kind of been, maybe, an area of weakness the last few years, so I wanted to have a great year. I put a lot of pressure on myself to help the midfield, and it’s been great to have [Smith] going so well to lighten that load and not have it all, in my own head, resting on me.

“Brisbane’s midfield is very good, but we’re not scared of them or worried about how they’ll perform.”

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