FIVE goals in one match from an 18-gamer is a fine achievement in anyone’s language.

And when you consider that the player in question is not a key forward and made his name as a junior playing up the ground - and started his AFL career off half-back and on the wing - it’s an impressive effort.

That was Sam Blease’s lot at the MCG on Saturday against St Kilda.

The dashing 21 year-old kicked a career best tally, including three goals in the final term. Although Blease trained as a forward in the pre-season, he has had to work hard on his fitness and defensive aspects of his game, despite possessing some outstanding talent and pace - attributes that make him one of Melbourne’s most exciting players.

“I’ve done a lot of work with Browny (Leigh Brown) and Satts (Paul Satterley), who are the forward coaches,” Blease said.

“They’ve been getting into my ear about just to be at the drop of the ball and get in front of the footy.

“It was a good little reward, but we need to play four quarters as a team, and it would’ve been a lot better if we had a win.”

Blease has now kicked 17 goals - all this year - from his 18 AFL matches. He has posted at least one goal in 10 of his previous 11 appearances.

He has also played the past 12 matches, and has shown genuine promise for the future.

Leader Nathan Jones is one who believes that Blease has the ability to take his game to a higher level, given his ability.

And he is eager to see what Blease can achieve over the pre-season, heading into 2013.

“He’ll be a really good player for us. He needs to work on his fitness and continue to work hard in the gym - particularly his endurance. But he’s got all of the skill in the world and he’s got lightning speed, so it’s a credit to him,” Jones said.

“He’s been challenged a lot this year, and last pre-season he was challenged a lot. He’s slowly starting to respond, which is good for him and good for the footy club.

“He’s going to be a great player for us, and he’s going to have a big pre-season for us and that’s exciting for us to see what he can do.”

Although coach Mark Neeld said Blease’s five goals couldn’t now be expected on a regular basis, he was nevertheless pleased with his performance.  

“It’s not sustainable, clearly, to rely on little Sammy to dart around and be your leading goal kicker, but there is a fair bit of positive stuff there,” he said.

“Sam’s going to be a really good player [with] another couple of pre-seasons.

“He played four quarters, and the defensive aspect of his game was really high.”

Neeld said it was in this area that Blease had improved markedly since the start of the season.

“In round one out at Casey, I remember having a chat with Sam about some of the defensive things,” he said.

“He looked at me, and he thought I was speaking another language.

“So he’s come a fair way, and he’s now having conversations with me and conversations with Craigy (Neil Craig) about defensive aspects and what his summer training looks like.”

Although Neeld humourously spoke of his young charge as having already “been to the shop where you get confidence”, Blease said that it had only grown from his preparation.

“It’s all the work I’m doing away from the club and away from actual game day. I’m trying my best to get my fitness up, which will allow me to get me to where I want to be,” Blease said.

“I’m going to push up more on the wing next year, and hopefully be a part of taking this club forward. I’ve got an OK fitness base, and I want to get it as good as I can, and hopefully that’ll allow me to go back on the wing.

“Hopefully I can rest up forward, and hopefully follow up and kick a couple. I see myself playing a lot more on the wing, I hope.”

Although this is his fourth AFL-listed season, Blease’s first two seasons were rocked by his nasty broken leg, which happened in 2009. It wasn’t long into his time at the club, after being selected at No. 17 in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft.

Personal tragedy had already engulfed Blease when he sadly lost his father in his teenage years and to then cop a serious injury, which at one point looked career threatening, was a tough pill to swallow.

Now, he has played 13 matches in 2012 and has featured in every game since round eight. He has relished his opportunity at the highest level, even if he acknowledged that he was starting to feel the effects of a long season.

“It’s been a bit of a challenge. It’s dragging out a bit, the year,” he said.

“I’m starting to slow down a bit during the week, and it’s [taking] a couple of days to get the body right.

“I’m really enjoying playing AFL footy and playing with all my mates. It’s just a shame we haven’t had the results, but I think they’ll be just around the corner.”