CAN YOU name the small defender who has curtailed Brandon Matera, Eddie Betts, Luke Dahlhaus, Chad Wingard and Jamie Elliott in the space of seven weeks?

The answer is Melbourne's Neville Jetta.

The same Neville Jetta who was told by the Demons his time at the club was up after five seasons on the list at the end of 2013.

The same Neville Jetta who was subsequently re-drafted by the club as a rookie and told, in no uncertain terms, his days would be numbered if he didn't lift his fitness levels to an AFL standard.

As is often the case, the 24-year-old's dramatic improvement can be attributed to nothing but hard work.

Since coming into the side in round five, after being elevated off the rookie list for the injured Jack Trengove, Jetta's impact has been substantial.

Champion Data has credited Jetta with conceding just four goals against his direct opponents in 518 minutes of playing time over that seven-week block.

Of his seven one-on-one marking contests this season, Jetta has neutralised (spoiled or stopped his opponent from gaining possession) six and lost only one.

"I put massive pressure on myself to come in and not let it slip," Jetta told AFL.com.au.

But how has the one-time injury-plagued small forward, prone to flicker in and out of games, managed to find such a high level of consistency?

"My role is more typified now," Jetta says.

"Early in my career I wasn't going out to play with a simple mindset like I am now."

Melbourne has not been afraid to throw weighty tasks Jetta's way, confident he can handle the slippery ground-level forward like Betts or the high-flyers such as Wingard or Elliott.

But that wasn't always the case, with Melbourne's coaching staff doubtful about whether Jetta had the appropriate conditioning to run out games.

So on the eve of the season, Jetta, backline coach Jade Rawlings and elite performance manager Dave Misson devised a program to bring his fitness up to the expected standard.

"He was basically told to get fitter or lose opportunities to play," Rawlings said.

"He knew that, he committed to it and he owned his program."

Tuesdays were set aside for Jetta's extra training session on top of the club's requirements. It alternated between boxing sessions and aerobic and anaerobic-specific running.

"I tried to do everything I possibly could to prove I was fit enough and ready to go when needed," Jetta says.

He's done that and more.

"I think he's trained his mind as much as he's trained his body to be fit enough to play AFL footy consistently," Rawlings says.

Melbourne's Neville Jetta has grasped his opportunity since moving into defence. Picture: AFL Media

Set to play his 50th game against the Western Bulldogs in round 15, Jetta's defensive mindset is simple. He knows only too well what a couple of goals early in the game can do for a small forward's confidence.

"I played that role my first three years. If I didn't get a touch in the first quarter, it was like ‘am I going to get a touch today?' and I started to think about other stuff that I couldn't control," he says.

"It gets them frustrated and then they're not playing to their strengths."

But Jetta isn't allowing himself to get caught up in his recent successes.

"I know how quickly it can turn. I was on the outer at the end of last year and that's what's driving me at the moment," he says.