THE RETURN was nice, but the process remained the same.

Orazio Fantasia produced his best performance in a Carlton jumper on the weekend, producing four goals in the wet as the Blues enjoyed a 61-point win over the Tigers at the MCG.

But for the forward now at his third club, all that matters to him and his coaches is how he goes about his business.

Fantasia was praised by AFL Senior Coach Michael Voss in the post-match, who mentioned that the role Fantasia had played in contributing to the team’s defence had gone “unheralded, probably unnoticed in a lot of ways”.

Speaking to ABC post-match, Fantasia said the output in front of goal stemmed from the non-negotiables to get a position in the Carlton forward line.

“It all comes off the back of our work rate, that’s our role as small forwards. We’ve got to get back and help, then once we win the ball back, hopefully we can really explode,” Fantasia said.

“[On Sunday] I got a lick of the ice cream, so did ‘Fog’. Next week I may have six touches and no goals, and that’s fine! As long as we keep doing our job and keep winning, that’s all that matters.

“It comes off the back of our pressure, that’s our one wood. When we get that right and the dial leans towards defence, our offence flows off the back of it.”

Fantasia is now up to a dozen games in Navy Blue, after playing just 24 in the previous four seasons. 

He feels as though he is building into things as the season progresses, particularly amongst a new-age mosquito fleet at the feet of Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay.

In terms of that small-forward brigade, there’s one who he firmly believes rules the roost.

“It’s Owies . . . he’s definitely the man. He brings the energy and you see when he celebrates a goal, he’s up and about. I don’t think anyone celebrates harder.

“We’re pretty connected at the moment, which definitely makes footy more fun and enjoyable.

“We love it.”

For Fantasia and the Blues, the main thing is that the good times keep rolling. Particularly after missing so much in recent years, and particularly after the Club took a chance on him this off-season.

“I haven’t played a lot of footy. The message from [Voss] and the conversations we had in pre-season was definitely lets get the body right, that was the biggest thing. I had a bit of a slower pre-season before Christmas to get miles in the legs, and now I’m starting to reap the rewards of what we sowed earlier.

“It’s starting to click for me.

“Just playing my role, that’s all he wants — I don’t care if I kick four goals or have five touches, as long as we keep winning, we help out the backs and we keep scoring.”