The step-up from local footy is one thing. Transitioning from VFL to the big time is quite something else.

But Nick “Pussa” Graham is quite literally putting his best foot forward.

Just nine games into his senior career, the 20 year-old “Gippy” boy understands that to cut it at this level one cannot cut corners – hence, his steadfast commitment to getting his running patterns right.

“As much as you hate to say it, the gap between VFL and AFL is getting greater, just in terms of the speed,” Graham said between training sessions at Visy Park recently.

“At VFL level with the smaller ground you can get stuck in the contested style where it’s just contest after contest after contest, whereas on the MCG with a lot more open space the ball just hums up and down the ground.”

With the assistance of Mick Malthouse and the Carlton coaching fraternity, Graham has truly toiled to get his running game right – not that it would be immediately obvious to his Traralgon contemporaries.

“People who watched me play under 18s and who see me now wouldn’t see a massive difference, but if you ask the coaches they’d tell you there’s a huge difference in how I actually play the game now compared to when I first got here,” Graham said.

“When I got here I sat down with Mick and knew exactly what I had to work on to get to AFL level, and this year’s been a huge year for me in terms of running patterns. It’s pretty much all about what your mindset is when you don’t have the footy – of finding your man, trying to get forward of the footy, creating space for others – that’s the sum of it.”

“For me to do that and to have improved in those areas has really put me in good stead for my coming career.”

Having made his senior debut in Round 21 of last year, it’s fair to say that Graham is still pinching his cheeks in terms of his AFL status.

“I love it,” Graham said. “Playing AFL is what you dream about as a kid, and I am getting paid for doing what I love, so I wouldn’t give it up for the world.

“Don’t get me wrong, it is full-on. But when you go home at night and actually think about what you are doing, people would queue up to be in your position.”

Graham has not been untouched by the positive vibe that exists amongst his Carlton contemporaries either, as a consequence of the team’s encouraging showings of late.

As he said: “The improvement in the team over the past month has been huge”.

And who could argue?