RYAN Bastinac could do little wrong in his debut season last year.

The No. 21 pick in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft was one of the most outstanding first-year players in the AFL, playing every game for North Melbourne as he finished 10th in its best and fairest, and fifth in the NAB AFL Rising Star award.

But Bastinac's seamless transition to the AFL struck a hurdle in January when he tore the lateral meniscus in his right knee at training. The injury required an operation that sidelined him for the first half of the 2011 season.

Given his talent and naturally strong aerobic capacity, Bastinac only had to play two games in the VFL before earning a recall with North in round 12, against Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium.

Although he seemed to find the pace of the AFL straight away again in that game, racking up 25 disposals in an encouraging return, he found the going slightly tougher in North's subsequent five matches.

North coach Brad Scott made the observation last week that the fitness demands on players under the new substitute rule had made it harder than ever for players to step back into the AFL after an absence.

But Bastinac looks like he's now almost caught up to the speed of the AFL again judging by his impressive performance in North's 45-point win against the Brisbane Lions on Saturday.

On a day when one of his childhood heroes, Simon Black, had 37 disposals and kicked a goal for the Lions, Bastinac was outstanding with 29 disposals and two goals of his own.

One of the highlights of Bastinac's game came at the 25-minute mark of the first quarter, when he marked a short pass from Brent Harvey, then played on, backing himself to get around a couple of Lions players, and goaled from 40m.

His kicking inside North's forward 50 was also impressive. Bastinac hit Leigh Adams with a well-weighted pass at the 19-minute mark of the first term, and Petrie with another precise kick at the 17-minute mark of the second term. He also put a penetrating long kick out in front of Cameron Pedersen at the start of the last quarter, giving him every opportunity to mark. 

After the match, Scott said Bastinac had taken a significant step forward in his comeback.

"He's taken up to this point to really look like he belongs at AFL level again," Scott said.

"We know how composed he is and what a good aerobic runner he is, but it's that intensity of competing and the contesting that really all players struggle with regardless of how aerobically fit they are.

"'Basti' (took) another good step forward today. He's still got some way to go, but I thought he took another really good step forward." 

Bastinac told afl.com.au after the match he was pleased with his improving fitness and form.

"I'm feeling really fit. I’m running out games pretty well I think," Bastinac said.

"It was pretty hard early. I didn't really expect much coming back from an injury like that. But it's good to finally hit some form again and run out games well."

But as impressive as Bastinac's individual game was against the Lions, more significant was the part he played in picking up the slack left by Daniel Wells being slightly down on his outstanding 2011 form.

Although Wells was held to 17 disposals by Lion Andrew Raines, Bastinac teamed with the likes of Andrew Swallow (24 disposals), Leigh Adams (23) and Jack Ziebell (21) to give North the ascendancy in its midfield battle with the Lions.

Bastinac said it was exciting to be part of a young North midfield that was quickly building greater depth.

"I think the healthy thing about our club and about our midfield is we've got a really even spread and we don't have to rely on one player in there," he said.

In addition to the players who performed so well for North against the Lions, Scott said Ben Cunnington and Cruize Garlett, who are playing in the VFL, would get a game in most other AFL sides.