YOUNG Lion Jed Adcock says he is enjoying life away from his customary defensive role and hopes to play the rest of the season in the midfield.

Adcock has long being regarded as an onballer in the making and the recent good form of the Lions’ defence has allowed Leigh Matthews the luxury of moving him up the ground.

His pace and ability to find the football were on display at the Gabba on Sunday, as the Lions overcame the absence of Brownlow medallist Simon Black to beat Carlton by 117 points.

Adcock finished with 23 disposals and a career-high three goals, including successive majors on the run from just inside 50m early in the third quarter.

“It’s a bit of a change from the start of the year. But the last few weeks I’ve been able to play through midfield and have a bit more responsibility and it’s been good,” Adcock told lions.com.au.

“Hopefully I can play the rest of the year there. I think at the start of the year we were maybe a bit vulnerable down back.

“But with [Joel] Patfull going down there, Joel Macdonald coming back and [Troy] Selwood being able to go into defence and really hold it together, it’s allowed me to move up the ground a bit.”

If all things go to plan, Adcock will notch his 50th AFL game at the Gabba in round 18 against the Kangaroos.

The 21-year-old exudes a quiet confidence in all he does, but admits he wondered how on earth he would ever crack it for a senior berth when he first arrived at the club after the 2003 season.

The Lions had just won a third straight flag and were primed for a fourth – something they very nearly achieved, going down to Port Adelaide in the 2004 grand final.

“When I first came, I thought I’d never get a game,” he said.

“But the bonus with coming here was that you knew you were going to learn from the best.

“And you do. Every player you look at has been there and done it and they are all so professional when it comes to playing AFL footy, both on and off the field.

“And then you’ve got the coaching staff to back it up.”

While Jonathan Brown’s 10 goals were the major talking point following the Carlton win, Adcock also had praise for small forward Rhan Hooper.

Hooper had an interrupted summer and did not play a senior game until the round 14 win over West Coast in Perth.

But he has been lively in his three games to date and ignited the crowd on Sunday afternoon with four opportunistic second-half goals.

“Rhan brings a lot of spunk and I think there are only a couple of players at the club who can do the kinds of thing he does – probably only him and Jared Brennan,” Adcock said.

“His natural pace and his desire to get after opponents is second to none. That’s why he is out there and he’s getting the rewards for it now.”