Trent Dumont is inching closer to his AFL debut, fuelled by good form for North Ballarat in the VFL in recent weeks.

The key to Dumont's emergence has been consistent work on improving the next step in his game. Already more than competent on the inside, the midfielder has been working on finding his outside game for the Roosters.

Against Werribee on Saturday, 15 of Dumont’s 27 possessions were uncontested as he provided an option for his teammates in space.

“The work on my spread is going well at the moment,” Dumont told NMFC.com.au.

“I’m working on my fitness along with my quickness of decision to spread. So the quicker I can decide whether to spread or not, obviously the quicker I can get out.

“With that, fitness is a big factor. I’m really working on that at the moment.”

Playing on the outside is largely associated with repeat running but Dumont is finding the mental battle the hardest. Playing above the shoulders is a trait that simply must be possessed to be a damaging player on the outside.

“Largely getting better at the spread is down to repetition. Mentally you’ve just got to be ready and I find it more a mental thing at the moment,” Dumont explained.

“Obviously I’m going to get fitter with the program that we’ve got in place.

“For me it’s about being able to make the decision as quickly as possible. It’s improving but I’ve still got a long way to go before it’s at AFL standard.”

Demonstrating an impressive maturity for a first-year player, Dumont already has a checklist of sorts to know how his game is going.

“I can get a feel for whether it’s (spread) going well out on the field. Usually you can get a feel for your spread on your uncontested marks because you’re the outlet to get the ball. Also just with uncontested possessions in general is a good indicator of how you’re going.

“Then if I’m getting a few clearances and nullifying my opponent at the same time, I’ll know I’m playing well. It’s a few things to think about because I’m trying to become the most well rounded midfielder that I can.”

Unsurprisingly for a player who has consistently been collecting high possession totals week after week, Dumont has received largely positive reviews from the coaching staff.

“The message from the coaching staff has been pretty straight forward. They’ve been pleased but I’ve got to keep working on my fitness.

“Scotty (Brad Scott) calls me a natural footballer, which is a good start, but to play AFL you have to be so much more than that. You need elite fitness and endurance. In my case I’m not overly quick so I need that endurance to perform at the top level.”