For most young men, putting on muscle too easily would be a dream. For North Melbourne big man Majak Daw, it's a problem.

Daw has long drawn admirers for his magnificent physique but says he needs to be careful he doesn't put on unnecessary weight.

"I go in the gym and just look at weights and pile on the kilos," Daw said to the laughs of reporters at Maribyrnong Secondary College on Thursday.

"It's functional strength, doing a lot more of that. When I'm in rehab, I miss out on doing all that sort of stuff, the one-on-one marking contests and the rucking.

"It's probably spending more time out there, doing the functional stuff, rather than the weights in the gym."

Daw is recovering from a season-ending foot injury suffered in August and expects to be back in full training by Christmas.

The 26-year-old is contracted until the end of 2019 but believes next year will be make or break for him.

"I think it feels that way. There's a lot of pressure on me to complete a full pre-season," Daw said.

Injuries and lack of form have plagued Daw throughout his career, restricting him to 32 games since he was picked up at No.9 in the 2009 rookie draft.

He admitted it was difficult not having established himself in the senior side yet but was thankful for the support of coach Brad Scott.

"It is frustrating because everyone's always asking, 'When are you going to deliver?'," Daw said.

"I'm still really driven and I'm determined, and the football club has been outstanding and Brad's been really supportive.

"He instils that belief in me that if I can get my body right, there's no reason why I can't play good footy."

Part of the problem for Daw is he doesn't know whether he is a ruck or a forward.

Todd Goldstein and Braydon Preuss offer plenty of competition for the No.1 ruck mantle while Ben Brown is the spearhead of the forward line, having finished fourth in the Coleman Medal this year.

"I'm still struggling to pick which one of those. I'd love to play a bit more forward. I'm so versatile that I can also play in the ruck, so half and half really. It comes down to what Scotty wants me to do," Daw said.

Ultimately, Daw knows it's time to deliver.

"Talk is very cheap. Everyone wants to see the action."