MAX Gawn says he was surprisingly nervous when the match started against Richmond at the MCG on Saturday afternoon – his first appearance for the season.

The ruckman said he wasn’t expecting to feel anxious, but once he realised he was back playing his first match since round 23 last year, the enormity struck him. 

“The first quarter was quite nerve racking actually,” he told Dee TV following Melbourne’s 17-point win.

“It was my 18^th [AFL] game and I wasn’t really expecting it [to be nervous]. I was calm and collected going into it and then my body starting nerving up and it was actually a weird experience.

“Once I started getting into it, I took a couple of marks early, which gave me a little bit of confidence, but to get away with a win was really good.”

Gawn impressed early against the Tigers with some impressive grabs and said the challenge now was to back up his performance, which produced 12 disposals and 19 hit outs.

“When you take a few marks early, it gives you a lot of confidence going into the game and you’re not worried about getting involved and you can just play your own natural game,” he said.

“I did that against GWS [in round four] last year – I came back [into the side] and played pretty well – and then I had a bit of a dry patch.

“I think from now on, I’ve got to keep it consistent.”

Gawn, who was set to be recalled in round two against the West Coast Eagles, before injuring his hamstring, which forced him out for three weeks, said it had been frustrating early in the season.  

“It’s not the best start to the year. I was in and around the team for the West Coast game [in round two] and I did my hammy at training, so I had to come back. They made me work hard at VFL to get [my] position back [in the side],” he said.

“I had to play three or four games of really good football to get back into the side and fortunately – but unlucky for Chipper (James Frawley) – Chipper got injured and there was a spot that opened up.

“Roosy spoke to me during the week and said I’m pretty good in the air and I’ve got a good mark, so he just backed me in. It turned out OK.”

With Melbourne having the bye next weekend – before its round 11 clash against Port Adelaide at TIO Traeger Park in Alice Springs – Gawn said the win over the Tigers couldn’t have come at a more opportune moment.

“It’s very good timing coming into the bye,” he said.

“We’ve got a week to enjoy it and a week to prepare – and normally you’ve only got a night to enjoy it and six days to prepare – so you’ve got to enjoy it.

“To beat a side that made the top eight last year and had a lot of external pressure in this game – it was great that the boys got over the line.”