Carlton youngster Nick Holman says a role change this season has given him greater confidence in his own football.

Holman has spent five of the six matches in the VFL playing midfield shutdown roles, after spending much of the 2014 season as a defender capable of pushing up to a wing.

The soon-to-be 20-year-old registered 11 tackles in the Northern Blues’ eight-point loss to Essendon last Saturday, and has averaged almost seven tackles per match.

His successful roles have seen him shut out some of the VFL competition’s most decorated midfielders including former Melbourne, now Port Melbourne midfielder James Magner and Frankston captain Shane Hockey.

The 2014 AFL debutant said work with coaches Michael Osborne and Rob Wiley has been integral to the development of his craft to not be totally defensively orientated.

“I’m really enjoying the new role, it’s good to be able to find a bit of the footy as well,” Holman said.

“Being out in the middle of the ground and amongst the contest to get my hands on the footy is something I really like to do.”

Opposed to Essendon-listed midfielder Zach O’Brien, Holman kept the Bomber to just 10 disposals in the first half before O’Brien – and the rest of his team – got away from Holman and his Blues.

“I thought the first half was pretty competitive and I got a lot of help from the boys around me,” Holman said.

“The second half, I think I went away from what I was doing well and he (O'Brien) got on top and … I didn’t get much help around the ground.

“He’s a super player, so it was always going to be a tough ask.”

The Blues find themselves at 2-4 with frustrating losses against Williamstown in Round 1, plus North Ballarat and Essendon in frustrating weeks to blame.

Holman said there is still a belief in the side about their best football being better than most sides.

“It’s about stopping the lapses (like) in the second, where we just drop away (from the things we do well),” he said.

“We’ve been good at (defensive pressure) all year, but it’s just our defensive transition that we’ve got to work on.

“Things like stopping hit-up kicks in the corridor. We allowed (Essendon) too much of that in the second quarter especially and they got a run-on.”

The Blues next face 2014 grand final Box Hill, but Holman believes that if the Blues bring their best pressure, they will be able to match it with the third-placed Hawks.

The match will commence at 2pm at Box Hill City Oval.