Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn is ready and willing to work in tandem with sidekick Braydon Preuss.

The Demons’ best and fairest winner said he will “park his ego” if instructed to share the big-man duties this season.

Debate has raged since the 206cm Preuss, who didn’t play a senior AFL game with North Melbourne last season, chose Melbourne as his new football home with a 208cm All-Australian already in residence.

It gives Demons coach Simon Goodwin the option of twin talls if Port Adelaide loads up with height in the opening round at the MCG on March 23.

“I’m a pretty impatient man and I’ve been at this club for 10 years now and I want what’s best for the club. And if Goody tells me it’s best to play Preuss and Gawn in the ruck, I’ll play my role,” Gawn said.

“It’s not an ego thing. You have to park your ego when you play footy and you’ve got to be able to do what the coach says. As much as I love the No.1 ruck, I like kicking goals and helping down back. And Preussy likes to do that as well.”

While most ruckmen detest the tedious time trials and embarrassing sprint sessions, Gawn said he has revelled in the summer slog to prepare for the new season.

“I don’t mind pre-season. You’re out in the sun, getting fit, there’s no media scrutiny, you’re not feeling sore. It’s a great time of the year,” he said.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love the games. But I’m not the type of person who sees the off-season as a flog. It’s part of the job and you’ve got to learn to love it.”

Gawn is physically sound despite the battering nature of his craft and he has been virtually injury-free since damaging the right knee in the last game of the 2014 season.

“I seem to not be getting injured these days which is good. Recent history is good, I’ve had a lot of pre-seasons in a row,” he said.

“I think it would be naive to say that luck hasn’t been a part of it.

“But I’ve done a lot of hard work around 10 operations on one knee. Luckily that has held up the last four or five years.”