MAX VINEY has a famous football surname, but the son of Todd and younger brother of Jack is making his own name in this game, using his expertise in Brazilian jiu-jitsu to improve the way players execute the tackle. 

The 27-year-old was first introduced to the modern martial art by a neighbour at 14 when UFC was exploding in popularity, just before Jack was drafted to Melbourne as a father-son pick in 2012. 

Max has earned a black belt and dedicated more than a decade of his life to competing and coaching Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but now he is using those skills as a gun for hire in a sport where the Viney name is revered for its toughness.

When Jack started working on his tackling technique with him at Dominance MMA in Abbotsford, word spread.

Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell is a family friend and got involved next. Then Melbourne superstars Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver wanted guidance. Collingwood champion Scott Pendlebury was next, always searching for ways to improve. Hawthorn free agent James Worpel and Essendon midfielder Darcy Parish have also spent time in the gym with him.

Now AFL teams are employing Max to teach their players how to tackle effectively.

Since pre-season, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Collingwood, Richmond and Essendon have hired him as a tackling and grappling coach, while AFLW programs at Collingwood, Melbourne, St Kilda, Gold Coast, Essendon and Greater Western Sydney have also brought him into the inner sanctum.

"I competed and coached in jiu-jitsu full-time and tried to make a crack at competing professionally. It got to a point where I thought there were a couple of concepts that could be helpful to the tackler from an AFL perspective," Max told AFL.com.au.

"I grew up around football, played it growing up and had an understanding of both worlds. Jack is an openminded guy and he likes the physicality side of things. He came in for a session and we just workshopped some stuff. That became a weekly thing. That helped me grow confidence to put my knowledge out there."

The tackle has never been riskier to execute. Last year, the AFL cracked down on the sling tackle. This year, the rundown tackle has been in the spotlight after North Melbourne's Paul Curtis copped a three-game suspension in April for an incident that left Port Adelaide's Josh Sinn with a concussion.

"There are few actions in the sport that have such big impact on not only the game and the outcome of a match, but also the health and safety of the fellow players," Max added.

"If you look at sports like rugby, nearly every team spends a significant amount of time around grappling and wrestling work because it is such a big part of their game and the consequences both team wise and health wise are really big in that sport, and I think it's a similar thing in AFL. I would definitely think it should be part of a curriculum of pre-season and in-season training."

When Todd called time on his Melbourne Hall of Fame career at the end of 1999, after winning two Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medals across 233 games for the Demons, football had just evolved into a full-time profession. 

But over the past 25 years, players have hunted incremental gains everywhere. From what they eat and when they eat, to recovery techniques like cryotherapy and cupping, to meditation, mindset coaches and even boot technology. Players have never invested more time and effort into performance, which is why Max believes they all should be dedicating time to the art of tackling.

"I think many aspects of the game have been refined in the modern era, whether that's recovery, kicking, nutrition, strength, fitness, sleeping and I think tackling, while a crucial part of the sport, hasn't really followed those level-ups," he said.

"When I saw there was some frustration around tackling technique and some uncertainty of some of the options they can do or they can try, using my knowledge base in body mechanics and grappling, I felt that I could help give more clarity, more expertise to individual players so they can level-up that part of the game so they can feel more confident doing this."

Jack has missed the past three games with the delayed concussion symptoms he experienced after the win over West Coast in round eight. He had hoped to return for Sunday's clash with St Kilda at TIO Traeger Park in Alice Springs, but opted to wait another week after training on Friday morning. 

The 31-year-old has been renowned for his craft at the coalface since he was drafted. Tackling, clearances and toughness are part of the Viney DNA. Only nine players have averaged more career tackles than Viney's 5.83 per game across his 227 appearances. But while it looks instinctual, Max has helped Jack hone his technique, sharpening his tools.

"Max has broken it down for me, shown me what I was doing in the moment, which made it easier for me to evaluate myself in those scenarios. If I missed a tackle I would know why I missed a tackle, or if I broke a tackle I would know why I broke a tackle. It just gave me more awareness as a player, which I love. I think it's an important part of the game," he said.

"It is just another tool to make us better players. AFL players are so good playing on instinct and potentially not knowing what makes them good players or good in certain scenarios or even poor in certain scenarios. Just to work with Max and build that awareness and build on techniques it makes my job easier to evaluate my own performance."

With the AFL narrowing its focus on the tackle over the past 18 months, practice has become crucial for players. The tackle bag used to be the main way to develop the skill. But now, players like Jack spend more time on the mats, rather than outside, perfecting the execution of the tackle through a focus on technique and review.

"The AFL are becoming more and more conscious about tackling, the way in which we do it and the impact that has on the player being tackled," he said.

"We have to be smarter as players, and with that comes education and learning, a real understanding of how to tackle in an effective way, because we can't just change something off the bat and execute in the heat of battle. There is training involved and that's what I love about having someone who has dedicated to the area of tackling, you get repetitions in your training. 

"Yes, you do tackling drills at training, but it's much harder to break down and learn. When you're in the craft area it gives you more opportunity to build that muscle memory, so when you go out in those fast-paced environments you're able to execute it effectively and keep players safe."

Jack and Max have been on different journeys since finishing school, but the former Melbourne captain is proud of his younger brother's dedication and now implementation across the AFL landscape. 

"It has been amazing his journey into AFL," he said. "Growing up he didn't really want anything to do with footy; he played footy at school, but he never really enjoyed it much. He found his own niche in jiu-jitsu and that was the thing where mum wouldn't have to drag him out of bed to get him in the door at something. He was doing it himself, he was motivated about it. 

"For him to go on that journey himself for 10-15 years, get his black belt and then find an opportunity to implement some of the skills he has learned into a sport that he ended up finding a passion for when he got older – my dad and myself and had nothing to do with it, really – it is all off the back of his hard work and dedication, so it has been awesome to witness and be part of."

Liverpool was once ridiculed for employing a specialist throw-in coach under innovative German manager Jurgen Klopp. Now it is common practice in Europe. Tackling is a skill that has been neglected, but not anymore. Now another Viney is making a mark in this game.