DEFENSIVE coach Jade Rawlings says Jayden Hunt has come on in leaps and bounds this year, but has only just shown a glimpse of what he can do at the highest level.

Rawlings said Hunt had made genuine strides this season, but was adamant the youngster had only scratched the surface. He added that Hunt’s game against the Crows last week was the type of performance the coaches were looking for from the exciting young half-back.

“We’re looking at how he can reproduce that week after week, but also more of it in games,” Rawlings told Melbourne TV.

“It was a fantastic, but he had it 14 times, and with what he can do with it, we think we can get even more out of him.

“Doing his review with him, he even agreed that there were more opportunities for involvement. We knew he’d play this year, but we didn’t forecast 12 to 13 consistent games in a row from him.

“He still looks as though he’s got a lot of improvement in him, so these last eight games are a good test for his resilience and his durability to finish off strongly.”

Rawlings said he was pleased with how Melbourne’s backline was taking shape, considering it had transformed significantly in 2016.

“It’s far different to what our supporters would’ve seen in the past with our backline,” he said.

“[Josh] Wagner will miss again [this week with a knee injury], but has been a real success, and Hunt has come along in leaps and bounds, and [Oscar] McDonald, I’ve been rapt with his progress.”

“Tom [McDonald] is playing well and [Sam] Frost is learning the ropes, but has shown us some good signs. We played [James] Harmes down there last week, so we’re going to keep continuing to look at players who can play our system and can play strong footy for four quarters.

“There has been some really good signs from the group and from some individuals, as the year has gone on, but there has been some inconsistencies, so that’s what we’re trying to iron out.”