Demons skipper Max Gawn believes departing teammate Braydon Preuss is primed to enter the top echelon of rucks as he joins his third AFL club GWS.
Preuss was trade from Melbourne to the Giants earlier this month during the trade period in exchange for Pick 31.
The 25-year old is set to take over the number one ruckman role in Leon Cameron's side with Sam Jacobs retiring and Shane Mumford put on the rookie list.
The Demons acquired Preuss from North Melbourne at the end of 2018, but he would make just 10 senior appearances in the red and blue over three seasons serving as Gawn's deputy.
Speaking onย SEN Afternoons,ย Gawn had faith that Preuss would flourish with greater opportunities.
โA lot of people questioned his decision to come to Melbourne, but from the position he was in he wanted the change and there was talk about us potentially being able to play two rucks, but the game evolved in that pre-season,โ Gawn toldย SEN Afternoons.
โIโm pretty sure West Coast won with two rucks in their team and then Richmond won the next few with only one and it sort of evolved to not being able to play with two rucks.
โBraydon pushed me to my limit, I pushed him to his limit and he is ready.
โThat game against GWS I know exactly what Iโm up for.
โItโs just a slow apprenticeship for him really. Heโs got to 25 and heโs ready to go.
โIโm sure he would have wanted to knock out 100 games before he was 25, but heโs ready to go now and heโll probably be up there in the top echelon of rucks this next two or three years.
โWhen he did play he held his own. In one of the games I was injured this year, I think it was against the Bulldogs, he got our trademark player and then was left out the next week and that was one of the first times thatโs happened.
โI felt bad personally that I was taking his spot, but thatโs what comes when thereโs only one spot in the team for a ruck.โ
Gawn added that the addition of last year's Pick 3 Luke Jackson may have contributed to Preuss' decision to leave Melbourne.
โI think my time is going to come to an end soon because Luke Jackson, Iโm telling you, this kid is talented,โ the multiple All-Australian said.
โIโm pushing for him to become a wingman at the moment or a midfielder or a forward rather than a ruck, but weโve definitely got a super talented kid, which probably adds to Preussโ decision.
โWeโve got this 19-year-old kid who could be anything, Iโm not going to put too much pressure on him, but he is genuinely a really good player and those spots in the side for Preuss could be taken by Jackson.โ
Preuss has played 18 AFL matches since being drafted by the Kangaroos with Pick 15 in the 2015 Rookie Draft.
