Van Rooyen had to bide his time in the VFL in his first season last year but has booted 15 goals in 10 games, averaged 3.2 marks and often been the Demons' main forward this season.
The last time Melbourne were this excited about a key forward prospect Jesse Hogan won the Rising Star but ultimately failed to kick on.
Gawn believed van Rooyen's relaxed character, combined with some experienced heads around him, held him in good stead to thrive under expectation.
The Demons skipper said he'd learned from working with Hogan and Luke Jackson how best to support talented young talls.
"You can put a lot of weight on the kid's shoulders, playing full-forward at 19," Gawn told reporters on Tuesday.
"The crowd are behind every disposal, so that puts even more pressure on but I feel like the character that we have with Jacob is someone that just doesn't really care about that. He's out there playing football.
"I have had some learnings with some of those guys in the past and I think that's why I'm down there maybe to take a couple of contested marks as well but I'm pretty confident Jacob's got it all settled."
Gawn joked the Demons had a habit of plucking talented young talls out of Perth, but stressed he had complete confidence van Rooyen, signed until the end of 2025, had no plans of following Hogan and Jackson in returning to WA.
Van Rooyen earned a Rising Star nomination for taking seven marks, collecting 16 disposals and kicking a goal against Carlton.
"He's a good kid. Not many young guys, especially tall guys come into the competition and crash packs like he does," Gawn said.
"He's a great character, he's bubbly and he's also running the forward line as a tall player with no Tom McDonald or Ben Brown on the weekend by himself."
Van Rooyen said McDonald and Brown had given him important guidance as had star full-back Steven May which will be crucial ahead of a likely match-up with Collingwood star Darcy Moore on King's Birthday.
"My locker buddy Steve May, he's been really big for me because I have to train on him all pre-season," he said.
"If I can play on him then I think I'm pretty well prepared to play on most key position defenders."
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