Family is central to the character. As the series begins, Max lives with his wife Maria Ramsay (Dasha Bláhová) and their sons, Shane (Peter O'Brien) and Danny (David Clencie). Monroe said they initially appear to be "a happy, strong family. Max was hard working, Maria was beautiful, Shane was athletic and Danny was academic." Max wants nothing but the best for his sons; according to Monroe, he is the type of man who would tell them to "Do what I say, not what I do". Max occasionally appears as a bully; unlike Shane, Danny cannot deal with his father's behaviour so Max thinks he is a "wimp" and often expresses his wish Danny was more like his older brother. Problems for the family soon arise when Maria feels Max takes her for granted and Shane starts to resent his father for pushing him to train for the Olympic diving team. Max is "brutally single-minded" as he trains Shane; Margaret Koppe of TV Radio Extra wrote there is "deep-rooted conflict" between father and son. There are also tensions between Max and Danny, who are always getting at each other.
