Majak Daw believes making his mark both in attack and in the ruck is key to locking down his spot in the North 22.

“I feel comfortable playing as a ruckman, but I like kicking goals,” Daw told foxfooty.com.au.

“The challenge for me going forward is to really get that balance right. I really want to play well as a forward and then be able to go into the ruck and pinch-hit in there.

“It’s a unique position. There aren’t many players who can do that role well. It’s challenging, because you’ve got to be able to play both positions well.”

The Roos’ big man played seven games in 2017 before succumbing to a foot injury late in the year, but is confident he can hit the ground running in pre-season.

“I’m just looking forward to training with the other forwards,” Daw said.

“I missed out on a fair chunk of training last pre-season, so I missed getting to know how the other forwards operate and getting a better understanding of their leading patterns.

“I also want to work on marking contests and get better at that.”

Now 26 and in his ninth season at the club, Daw understands the time to stamp himself on the competition is now.

“If I can become really good at those positions, there’s no reason why I couldn’t play week in, week out,” he said.

“It’s tough to be consistent, but I’m always looking to try and improve in areas of my game to be a consistent player.

“If I play well one week, I want to back it up the next week. That’s the challenge for me, to be consistent and to get my body right.”