While Gawn is prepared to stand down from the role if asked, it has helped make him one of the greatest players in the Demons' history.
He was joint captain from 2017-19 and has held the role on his own since 2020, leading Melbourne to their drought-breaking 2021 premiership.
Gawn has also been All-Australian captain and is a much-respected figure in the game.
"Whatever the club needs ... I have no real ego in having that 'C' next to my name," he told reporters on Thursday.
"If the club feels like it's best to push on in a different way, I'm more than happy to get behind it.
"If they want a bit of continuity, because there's been a lot of change at the football club, I'm happy to get behind that as well.
"I love being captain - it truly is a special role ... being the oldest club in the land."
Along with sacking coach Simon Goodwin this year and replacing him with Steven King, the Demons have traded out Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver, Charlie Spargo and Judd McVee.
"Change can be scary - I was scared as an eight-time All-Australian captain about a new coach coming in and if he's going to like me," Gawn told AAP.
"Imagine what the rest of the group was feeling like.
"There was obviously some anxiety around the change. But it's funny ... as soon as change happens and you come back the next day, you go 'oh, this is lovely, this is great'.
'And that's what has happened. I'd love to still have Goody and Trac and Clarrie and Judd McVee and Spargo here, but they're not and it's still an exciting place to walk into.
"It's given me at 34, after doing a 10-year campaign of one coach, another little burst of energy."
Gawn said he had made "a good start" with King, although he is waiting for the first "spray" from their new coach.Â
"He hasn't yelled yet. I'm waiting for the yell," Gawn said.
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