It’s a case of make hay while the sun shines for Carlton young gun Nick Graham.

The 21-year-old has run out for the Blues in their past four games, delivering career-best performances in the wins over Port Adelaide and the Gold Coast.

With 15 AFL games now under his belt, Graham says his goal is to repay the faith of coaches and show them what he’s made of.

“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for me being in and out of the side, but since Johnny (Barker) has come in he has given me a lot of faith,” Graham said.

“The coaches have put a lot of faith in my game and given me a few games on the trot now, and I think my biggest improvement is going to come with more games under my belt.

“If I just keep that kind of intensity up, and that attitude to want to get better, then hopefully I can cement a spot going into the next half of the year.”

Graham has credited coach John Barker with his improved performance, saying Barker has helped him narrow his focus to some key areas like tackling pressure. It’s an area Graham believes will be crucial to focus on in Saturday night’s clash with the Western Bulldogs.

“Their tackling pressure has been a real highlight this year and I think that’s what we’re striving to be,” Graham said of the Bulldogs.

“So for us to go head-to-head against them – I think we’re pretty similar sides in the way we play – I think it will be a good challenge Saturday night and hopefully we can get the four points and go three in a row.”