When you think Adam Treloar, you think midfield.

So hearing the 29-year-old is averaging 29 disposals and seven marks from the past two weeks, you’d be forgiven for assuming that’s from his usual on-ball role.

The Bulldogs have been without defensive stalwarts Caleb Daniel and Taylor Duryea during this period, meaning Treloar has needed to fill a different on-field role.

So instead of lining up at centre bounces, the 200+ gamer has found himself in the half-back line – impressing with his running and creativity inside defensive 50.

“I’m enjoying it down there – if I was to play outside of the midfield in terms of positioning, I guess the half-back suits my strengths and traits,” Treloar told SEN on Saturday morning.

“I’m more trying to find ways to improve as a football player, add strings to my bow and play different roles for the team. I do miss the midfield and do watch the centre bounces, but I am enjoying being down back.

“Being able to prepare myself and work with the backs to build some cohesion and confidence in how we want to play down there – and how I want to play down there in particular – has made me feel a lot more comfortable.”

Treloar said there was a noticeable difference in the backline’s efforts against St Kilda compared to other weeks, and reiterated the importance of putting in a four-quarter effort.

“I think one of the differences that we had as a defensive group is that we were much more proactive and reacted to the ball more so than our man,” he said.

“We were able to come off our players and help each other out, which helped us win back the footy and springboard into our attack.

“We pride ourselves on how we want to defend, so to keep the Saints to three goals at three-quarter time but then let them kick four in the last quarter is obviously disappointing.

“You can’t have those lapses against really good sides. St Kilda is a very good side, and when you let them play on their terms they will score quickly against you.

“(Post-match) we touched on being able to play out the four quarters, which is a bit of a cliché but it really is true – we need to make sure the attention to detail is there. The way we defended in those first three quarters – we kind of went away from that in that last quarter.

“We don’t want to do that this weekend against Melbourne.”

The Bulldogs will host the Dees at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.