It was a difficult night for the Bulldogs in Adelaide last Friday night, but one player who left an impression was emerging midfielder Toby Mclean.

In a performance coach Luke Beveridge described as one of the team’s worst in his time at the club, McLean, 21, was a shining light on a dark night, collecting a career-high 32 possessions in the 59-point loss.

In his third season at Whitten Oval, he said his recent move into the midfield had allowed him to realise a burning ambition.

“I always felt I was capable of playing in the midfield and the coaches obviously did as well,” McLean told AFL.com.au.

“I thought it was one of my better games, but I’ve still got a lot of improvement to go.

“'Bevo’ just tells me to play on instinct and with lots of energy.

“I’ve been getting a bit more midfield time, and I get to play alongside the likes of (Jack) Macrae, (Marcus) Bontempelli and (Tom) Liberatore in there.

“I feel like those guys make me a better player, but it’s good to be around the ball a bit more and I’m really enjoying it.”

McLean’s capacity to get the balance right between defence and attack would have pleased the coach. He also laid a team-high eight tackles – an aspect of the game he loves.

“I really enjoy tackling blokes, and the more I do that the more I get into the game,” McLean said.

“It helps with my intensity and it complements the offensive side of my game.”

After playing mainly as a high-flying forward during his junior football days, it was only a matter of time until Beveridge injected McLean into the middle to better utilise his excellent agility, sound disposal and an ability to win the contested ball.

A drop in form mid-season forced the Oakleigh Chargers product to spend time in the VFL to help rediscover some of his best football.

However, the time in the state league gave him a chance to showcase his on-ball capabilities and produce a game in which he collected 38 disposals, 11 tackles and a goal against Sandringham during round 10.

He earned a senior recall after that performance, which provided the catalyst for where McLean finds himself in the team.

“I knew I wasn’t playing at my best, the coaches knew that, so I had to go down to Footscray for a few weeks, play as well as I could, and it wasn’t long before I came back up,” he said.

“It always helps going back to the VFL and getting that midfield time. It also helped with my fitness, which was really beneficial.”