Demons young gun van Rooyen handling expectation

Captain Max Gawn is assured Melbourne can deal with the hype round younger gun Jacob van Rooyen and hold the strain off the rising ahead.

Van Rooyen needed to bide his time within the VFL in his first season final 12 months however has booted 15 targets in 10 video games, averaged 3.2 marks and infrequently been the Demons’ important ahead this season.

The final time Melbourne have been this excited a couple of key ahead prospect Jesse Hogan gained the Rising Star however in the end did not kick on.

Gawn believed van Rooyen’s relaxed character, mixed with some skilled heads round him, held him in good stead to thrive beneath expectation.

The Demons skipper stated he’d discovered from working with Hogan and Luke Jackson how finest to help gifted younger talls.

“You may put a variety of weight on the child’s shoulders, enjoying full-forward at 19,” Gawn informed reporters on Tuesday.

“The gang are behind each disposal, in order that places much more strain on however I really feel just like the character that we now have with Jacob is somebody that simply does not actually care about that. He is on the market enjoying soccer.

“I’ve had some learnings with a few of these guys up to now and I feel that is why I am down there perhaps to take a few contested marks as properly however I am fairly assured Jacob’s received all of it settled.”

Gawn joked the Demons had a behavior of plucking gifted younger talls out of Perth, however burdened he had full confidence van Rooyen, signed till the top of 2025, had no plans of following Hogan and Jackson in returning to WA.

Van Rooyen earned a Rising Star nomination for taking seven marks, gathering 16 disposals and kicking a aim in opposition to Carlton.

“He is child. Not many younger guys, particularly tall guys come into the competitors and crash packs like he does,” Gawn stated.

“He is an amazing character, he is bubbly and he is additionally working the ahead line as a tall participant with no Tom McDonald or Ben Brown on the weekend by himself.”

Van Rooyen stated McDonald and Brown had given him essential steerage as had star full-back Steven Could which will probably be essential forward of a possible match-up with Collingwood star Darcy Moore on King’s Birthday.

“My locker buddy Steve Could, he is been actually huge for me as a result of I’ve to coach on him all pre-season,” he stated.

“If I can play on him then I feel I am fairly properly ready to play on most key place defenders.”