Max Gawn's knee injury means ready or not, Brodie Grundy is about to take a big step forward in his AFL comeback.
Gawn will be out of action for at least a month after hurting his knee last Friday night against Brisbane - an injury the Demons initially feared might have been a season-ending ACL rupture.
While the damage turned out to be much serious, it meant Grundy immediately became the Demons' main ruckman until their captain returns.
Grundy missed 16 games last season because of his own knee injury and then joined Melbourne from Collingwood to team up with Gawn as a formidable ruck combination.
Gawn is confident that after what he has seen of Grundy through their two pre-season hit-outs and the opening two matches of the season, his new teammate is ready to step back into the breach as the No.1 ruckman.
"I have no issues with him running out games, with how he's going to perform," Gawn said.
"He's a two-time All-Australian who missed 12 months of footy and he's played four games in a row now, so I think he's ready to peak."
The Demons will need Grundy firing this Sunday at the MCG when they take on Sydney.
The Swans beat Melbourne in last year's qualifying final, the week before Brisbane ended the Demons' premiership defence with an outstanding semi-final win.
Melbourne were made to revisit Brisbane's midfield domination last Friday night and Gawn said Sydney will be another fierce test.
"They mauled us at stoppage. To be fair, they did that in the second half of the (semi) final as well," Gawn said of the Lions.
Sunday will also be a big day for the Demons as they raise funds and awareness for the Reach Foundation.
The mental health charity was co-founded by club great, the late Jim Stynes, who also mentored Gawn when he joined the Demons.
"I had him work with me and it's made me the person I am today," Gawn said.
"What could have happened ... if I didn't have a mentor like him, I could be absolutely anywhere in this world.
"It's amazing what he's done for the club, but for me personally, he was my facilitator.
"From the whole club's point of view, he is the Melbourne Football Club."
In part due to Stynes' influence, Gawn is a big proponent of mental health training - something he says helped him last Friday night when he thought he might have suffered a third ACL injury.
Gawn was emotional in the changreooms as he dealt with the possibility that at 31, his season might be over.
"Certainly some of stuff I've learned over my time had made me be able to be strong in that space," he said
"But the vulnerability of the cry - I still had a little tear in the changeroom.
"It only lasted a couple of seconds ... but certainly some tools I've learned throughout my time have kept me in a good space."
