MELBOURNE captain Max Gawn has come to the defence of under-fire former teammate Luke Jackson, who has had an underwhelming start to life at Fremantle.

Jackson made a heavily scrutinised move to the Dockers at the end of 2022 after winning a flag with the Dees in just his second AFL season.

Touted as a generational ruck prospect, Jackson has failed to make an impact in his first two matches with Freo yet to record a win in 2023.

But Jackson's form was just a byproduct of Fremantle's wider issues, Gawn told host Dylan Buckley on Friday Knock Offs.

“He’s been on the back page since about July last year over there, he’s obviously very topical and the same thing would happen I daresay if a Melburnian over there signed at a Melbourne club, the Victorian papers would be all over them as well," Gawn said.

“I actually think he’s playing good football, I think Fremantle have unfortunately started the year not the way they wanted to and they’re 0 and 2, and the papers have to go for someone and why not go for the biggest prized recruit in Luke.

“He’s a strong person, that won’t be affecting him at all. In fact, he wouldn’t have read it, and he wouldn’t have had anyone tell him as well. His close circle of people don’t tell him the news and he would just be going to training, and everyone would be like ‘are you alright?’ And he’d be like ‘well of course I’m alright, there’s nothing wrong’.

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“So he’ll go out and you watch it, he’ll play this amazing game, I mean the Derby, what a time do it this week."

Gawn and Jackson combined in a scary ruck duo at the Dees, and Gawn says his former protégé is still a super talent.

"I stand by my comments that I’ve said about him the whole way through his time: He’s going to be a genuine star," he said.