Heading into the Melbourne clash Fletcher Roberts had one clear objective, to create a contest and help deliver the ball to the small defenders’ advantage.

Playing the game in slippery conditions, the third gamer proved he could adjust to his surroundings and make a worthy contribution in the Bulldogs hard fought win over the Demons.

“[The] focus for myself and all the other defenders was just to bring the ball to ground, making sure the drop of ball was really manned up,” Roberts said.

“We were making sure that we were all over them – no easy possessions.

“We did it quite well at times but we lacked a little bit sometimes because I think that is one of their strengths, so we just needed to be physical with them.”

Roberts has made a number of physical gains since he last played senior football to help him in that task, but it’s his composure that has made the most noise.

Lining up in his first senior game since round 21 in 2012, the key tall had to fight for his spot in the team after impressing for Footscray in recent weeks.

“It feels like I’ve earned my spot a lot, I’m pretty happy with sort of how I’m playing footy at the moment, I’ve just got to make sure that I tighten up a few things,” he said.

Turning to veteran defenders Robert Murphy and Dale Morris for guidance and direction, the 20-year-old took the opportunity to draw on their knowledge to better his own game.

“It was really good tonight with Bobby, Moz, a lot of the senior boys giving me a lot of talk and communication the whole way throughout the game,” he said.

“I think it was ‘keep it pretty simple’, be strong in the contest, if I have the chance to get the ball in my hands to make sure that I’m composed with it.”