He only has 42 AFL games next to his name, however Trent Dumont is well on his way to cementing a spot in North’s best 22.

The 22-year-old was North’s third highest disposal on Saturday and believes he is reaping the rewards of a strong pre-season.

“It’s always important to put in a good performance, especially against good opposition like Melbourne,” Dumont told North Media.

“We’ve got a bit of work to do, but I guess there’s a slight positive in that I had a pretty solid performance.

“For me it’s about doing the things I focus on every week.

“I’ve done a big body of work which gives me confidence, and I’ll keep building on that.”

Dumont saw an opportunity to work his way into the team on a more regular basis following the departures of the likes of Sam Gibson and Andrew Swallow.

“There’s definitely plenty of opportunities to play in the midfield, and plenty of competition as well,” Dumont said.

“I’ve been playing a bit on the wing recently which means I get back and help the defenders, so I’m really enjoying it. 

“I find the wing does put you in the tough situations a bit more.

“It keeps me involved in the game, I love that part of it, it gives you a bit of a rush.”

Despite his 23 disposals and four tackles on the weekend, Dumont admits he and his fellow midfielders have a lot of work to do before facing Carlton on Saturday night.

“We got shown-up and outworked on the weekend, so we have to work on a few things in regard to our method and intent this week,” he added.

“Our effort is always high, we never give up, but there are a few things we need to tweak to make sure our effort is going in the right direction, and is positive for us.”