Melbourne captain Max Gawn has lifted the lid on an “awkward” run-in with Richmond players during Mad Monday celebrations over the weekend.

The Demons’ nightmare season came to a disappointing end on Friday night when they were pipped by Collingwood in a thriller at the MCG.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Max Gawn shares ‘awkward’ Mad Monday story.

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today

It capped a disastrous year for the club that saw premiership coach Simon Goodwin sacked.

With their season ending on Friday night, players had the weekend to drown their sorrows.

But things hit a snag when Gawn discovered a big group of Tigers players at the Bleakhouse Hotel in Albert Park, the same venue had and fellow Demons had been planning on going to.

“I’m experienced this time of the year, this is my 16th Mad Monday week,’’ Gawn said on Triple M.

“We had a couple of beers on Saturday night after watching the AFLW on Saturday afternoon. And then a long lunch at Lamaro’s and then we ended up in St Kilda.

“I was the first gone, before a lot of other people.

“The dangerous thing is a Sunday night in Melbourne at the end of winter — there’s not many people out but (there is) four Melbourne AFL teams.

“So, you’re running into North, St Kilda, and Richmond (players) almost everywhere you go. You have to try and avoid them.”

When asked by Channel 7 commentator and St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt if it’s awkward, Gawn share more details of the night.

“It’s awkward. We were at Lamaro’s and then we were looking for a pub just to have a beer afterwards, so we went to the old Beach Hotel (the Bleakhouse).

“Me and Jake Melsham took a Lime scooter down and that’s where Richmond were – what are the odds that Richmond were at that pub? So, we couldn’t go to that pub.”

Gawn added they used to have a rule on footy trips when they encountered rival players.

“We used to have a rule on footy trip that you weren’t allowed to speak to another AFL (team) on footy trip. It’s hilarious. They would come and talk to you, and you’d literally be head down, not even talking to them. It does get awkward.”

After last week’s season-ending loss, Gawn said his side threw away more than a dozen winnable games throughout their AFL season from hell.

The next step, under a new coach next year, is to find ways to get over the line.

“The over-arching theme that I can’t get out of my head is we lose winnable games,” an emotional Gawn told Channel 7 after the match.

Gawn counted three matches - against North Melbourne, Gold Coast and Hawthorn - in which the Demons weren’t in the hunt this season.

And with seven wins on the board, the skipper felt another 13 went begging.

“Which is pretty flattening. We’ve got to learn how to win again,” Gawn said.

“Obviously we’ll get some new people in, but this group has to learn how to win.”

A critical off-season looms as Melbourne’s hierarchy seeks a full-time replacement for sacked 2021 premiership coach Simon Goodwin.

The player exchange period could also bring about change, with the future of big-name stars Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver and Bayley Fritsch set to be in the spotlight.

“Once I see what team we’ve got here, in terms of coaching staff and footy admin and even players, then we’re all guns blazing for 2026,” Gawn said.

“We’re going to go away and learn how to win.”

- With AAP