As the Dogs’ first competitive hit-out nears and yet another gruelling training block down, prolific midfielder Jack Macrae says his teammates are hell-bent on taking their games to new levels in 2015.

The midfielder is part of a core group of young Dogs who have impressed in their young careers to date and Macrae said it’s important they continue to help drive the Club forward.

“Obviously I’m going to try and build my game on from last season, that’s one of the key things Bevo’s (Luke Beveridge) brought to us, it’s all about the young boys stepping up and not taking a backwards step,” Macrae said.

“Just because we’ve got a young team [it] doesn’t mean there are any excuses you can make.”

“Obviously to see Marcus Bontempelli and now Jake Stringer and a few of the other young fellas that I’ve played now a year or two with, it’s really exciting…

“We’re starting to know each other and our games really well so it’s a great brand to build for the future.”

The term ‘breakout season’ doesn’t seem enough to describe Jackson Macrae’s second year as an AFL player.

In 2014, Macrae became the youngest AFL player to amass 40 disposals in a game, and his consistency belied his years, averaging over 26 possessions.

His 43-possession effort in round 17 inspired the Dogs to a 28-point win against the Gold Coast Suns.

After only missing one game, Macrae was runner up in the Club’s Charles Sutton Medal behind Tom Liberatore, but however big the accolade or compliment,  the 19-year old is the first to admit there is always room for improvement.

“Obviously becoming a more damaging player with the ball but also defensively, working really hard at becoming a top two-way player and being really hard to play against…”