Often at times a first-year draftee can take time to appear truly comfortable, but Trent Dumont has consistently won his own ball in his first few VFL matches.

Another 20 disposals and 8 tackles against Essendon was an impressive outing for the youngster, but it's his willingness to improve that stands out.

“There were some positives I can take out of the match. I got to some good places and I spread well, but my efficiency by foot was poor," Dumont told NMFC.com.au.

“I got enough of it and I was solid inside, but the kicking is something I’ve got to keep working on during the week.”

With no magic cure to improve skills overnight, Dumont understands the need for continued emphasis on the track.

“The improvement will come through repetitive kicking. It’s just about doing it again and again until it gets better.

“I probably had more kicks under pressure than I did out in the open today, so it’s all about concentration as well when I’m kicking.

“I’ve just got to keep working hard and if I do that then it’ll all come eventually.”

Adjusting to another new coach to receive messages from, it was clear the respect Dumont has for Gerard Fitzgerald.

“Fitzy had a chat to me about continuing to learn the key messages of the group,” he explained.

“He’s really big on that and he gets round to all the players to have a chat. He asked me to really get involved.

“Obviously it can be hard for him (Fitzgerald) because we have a game style at North and we come here (North Ballarat) and sometimes it can be a little different, but he does such a good job and it works well for us with the good relationship we have with the Roosters.”

Unlike many draftees, Dumont had experience at senior level before coming into AFL ranks.

One of the best on ground in Norwood’s 2013 Grand Final win, the 18-year-old has already noticed a difference in style at VFL level.

“The SANFL has bigger bodies compared to the VFL. In the SANFL there’s a lot more older guys running around still," Dumont added.

“Here there’s obviously more AFL-listed guys so the pace is a bit faster, but in terms of standard I find it pretty similar so far.”