Banging bodies with superstar Lance Franklin and Sydney's other big forwards has helped latest AFL Rising Star nominee Lewis Melican contain St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt.
Melican, 20, who recently earned a contract extension, kept Riewoldt to a season-low 10 possessions in the Swans' 42-point win last Saturday.
"I was a little bit nervous, but at the same time I get to play on Buddy (Franklin), Tippo (Kurt Tippett) and Reidy (Sam Reid) all through the pre-season," Melican said.
"So being able to play on some of the best in the league at training, it wasn't too much of a shock for me going into Nick Riewoldt."
Melican made his debut during the Swans' disastrous start to the season, playing his first game in the derby against the Giants and his second in the loss to Carlton, which left Sydney languishing at 0-6.
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He wasn't scorched by that torrid start, earning selection for all but one of the last 13 games.
"I think the exciting thing for me is that I've been improving week in week out," Melican said.
"I come back and do a review with (backline coach) Henry Playfair after each game and there's always little things I can work on, even from this (St Kilda) game, probably the best one I've played so far."
Sydney have rocketed to sixth on the back of seven straight wins and 10 from their past 11 games, but Melican stressed they couldn't relax if they wanted to make the finals.
'We're definitely not content, we can't afford to be with the start of the season that we had, we have to keep going every week," he said.
Pelvis and hamstring injuries over the past two seasons slowed the development of the strong and composed 193cm-defender.
"I was just hoping to get a full year injury free, to be able to just chip away at it and see how I went," he said.
"I wasn't expecting too much coming in, but to be where I am now is probably the optimum place I could be.""
Melican, who has shown he can mark tall and smaller forwards, was recently promoted to the senior list after spending two and a half seasons on the rookie list.
