AFTER arriving at IKON Park as Carlton’s first pick in last year’s NAB AFL Draft, Corey Durdin enjoyed his best performance so far in the VFL on the weekend.

The small forward was a source of energy and pressure in Carlton’s attacking half on Sunday, putting his Footscray opponents under constant heat at Whitten Oval.

Despite it being the first VFL game this season where Durdin didn’t trouble the scorers, it was his forward pressure in tricky conditions which stood out from Carlton’s No.29.

As Head of Development Luke Power told Carlton Coaches’ Corner, it was his willingness and tenacity in getting at the opposition which shone through for the coaching staff.

“It’s great when the youngest player on the list likes to get after the opposition,” Power said.

“His ability to close space, put body on and put himself right into tackles is amazing for a player of his age. He’s got a hunger to pressure and get after the opposition, which is something we’re very excited about.

“It’s his closing speed that really stands out so much.”

One instance which clearly stood out in the second quarter of the weekend’s game was a triple effort from the first-year Blue.

As the Dogs threatened to run away with the game, Durdin - stationed at the drop of the ball - put pressure on his opponent, pressed the next Dog who got the handball receive and then sprinted a further 20 metres to provide a crunching tackle on the third opposition player in the possession chain.

For Power, it was the perfect example from a player who he believes displays a selflessness beyond his years.

“It’s not something we see once a game from Corey, we see it multiple times,” he said.

“We call it ‘manic pressure’ and when we’re coding manic pressure after a game he’s usually got 10-12 instances of this.

“The thing we love about Corey is he’s so selfless with his attitude, which is a rare trait for such a young player. He likes to put blocks on and buy time and space for his teammates, and also his ability to get after the opposition is something we’re looking forward to seeing.”

Good things tend to happen when Durdin gets possession of the ball, demonstrated by direct goal assists to Ben Crocker and Josh Honey in successive weeks.

Power said the focus for Durdin was getting the footy in his hands more often to increase his impact on the game.

“It’s important for a small forward to take their opportunities when they get them,” he said.

“He uses the ball really well in the forward half. The challenge for him now is how do we get it into his hands more and how does he get more opportunities.

“We want him to be able to set us up in the forward half, either by connecting with our tall forwards or by hitting the scoreboard for us. As he starts to work on his endurance and being able to maintain his intensity for the whole game, I’m sure we’ll get to see a lot more of this.”