MELBOURNE fans were ruing Sunday’s slow start against North Melbourne which ultimately cost their team the match however the continued emergence of young midfielder Shane Valenti was one reason to rejoice.

Valenti was a shining light for the Demons, booting a goal and using the ball with precision with most of his 22 disposals.

But like all Melbourne supporters, Valenti’s solid form was little consolation to the man himself following Sunday’s 28-point loss at the MCG.

“I think we lost the second quarter by a point or two and then won the third and fourth [quarters] which is a positive, but the first quarter did really kill us,” Valenti said after the match.

Despite his team-first approach, red and blue fans couldn’t help but be enthused by the pint-sized ballwinner’s improvement in recent weeks.

Valenti, promoted to Melbourne’s rookie list at the end of 2007, impressed throughout the Demons’ pre-season campaign before returning to Sandringham once the AFL season began.

However the 21-year-old’s door opened earlier this year when club legend David Neitz was forced to hang up his boots as a result of a serious neck injury.

“It wasn’t done straight away so I didn’t think I was going to get a chance but then a couple of weeks after he’d retired they said ‘look we’ll bring you up and give you a shot’,” Valenti said.

Valenti has now played six AFL matches and in that time has run with the likes of Brisbane Lions' star Luke Power and Bulldogs hardworker Brad Boyd, to name just a couple.

Against North Melbourne on Sunday, he furthered his football education by running with some of the Kangaroos’ biggest names.

“I had [Brady] Rawlings for a bit, [Adam] Simpson, I found myself on Brent Harvey for a bit, too, which was a bit of a lesson,” Valenti said.

“He’s just an amazing player, works really hard and if you want to get to that level it showed [me] how hard you’ve got to work.”

Speaking after the match, Melbourne coach Dean Bailey said he was impressed by one of the newest additions to his midfield rotation.

“He’s come along, Shane,” Bailey said.

“You know, his possessions are good [and] I think he’s a good decision-maker.”

While Valenti’s place on the senior list is assured for the remainder of this season, a longer-term spot on Melbourne’s list is not yet certain.

With that knowledge the nuggety midfielder – who along with Austin Wonaeamirri is the shortest player on Melbourne’s list at 176cm – knows he must continue to keep his head down in a bid to win a permanent place at the Demons.

“It is a wait and see sort of thing,” Valenti said.

“I’ve got to just keep impressing, trying to get a kick and if I can stay in the side that’s a positive.”