MAX Gawn says the second half of his 2015 season was a positive step forward after a “disappointing” start to the year.

Gawn, who did not play an AFL game until round 10’s Queen’s Birthday blockbuster against Collingwood, said he faced an initial setback after missing team selection for round one.

“Unfortunately for the round one side, they went with the one ruck with ‘Russian’ (Mark Jamar) and Sam Frost as the backup, so I missed out. I was the emergency as well, so I knew I was pretty close [to selection].

“In hindsight, I wish I’d taken it a lot better because it could have been a bigger year if [I had] pulled my head out around round three or round four.”

Playing in the VFL, Gawn said that it took him time “to really hit [his] straps,” but he persevered and eventually broke through to the AFL team.

“I was in a bit of a dark place, not knowing how to get my form around and I ended up just training my butt off [to get selected] and that seems to be the way to go,” he said.

“I got a really good game in the VFL and one thing led to another. There was a spot open in the AFL side and I played some good footy in [that] side.”

Producing an exceptional second half of the season in the AFL, Gawn singled out his performance in Melbourne’s win over Geelong at Simonds Stadium as a personal turning point.

“The Geelong game was the third of my game that I played [in the AFL] and it was really the game where I felt confident at that level,” he said.

“The two games before, it was [against] St Kilda and Collingwood, and that gave me a lot of confidence going into the Geelong game, because [Brodie] Grundy and Billy Longer were both highly rated young ruckmen. It was good to test it because they’re younger than me but we’re all around the same age.

“I knew that if I played my role that we’d get up and win so it was good.”

After injuring his knee in the last game of the 2014 season and missing half of the pre-season, Gawn said that he was “proud” of how his knee held up this year.

“I was able to get my knee to exactly where I wanted it to be. I’d had a lot of problems and had had eight operations in six seasons, so it’s been through a lot.

“To get through the whole year with no swelling, not even a hiccup with my knee, it’s a credit to the rehab I did do.”

Gawn said that he now felt confident in his body and was ready to build on the momentum from this year.

“I really want to attack the off-season and train hard and come back to the pre-season and be ready,” he said.

“I want 2016 to be a big year not only for me but for the Dees as well.”