A PLAYER'S first full year of senior football can be tough, regardless of the level he's at.

But when you're just 18 and holding down the hardest position on the ground, then what Geelong youngster Scott Simpson has achieved this year is all the more admirable.

Simpson, taken at No. 44 in last year’s NAB AFL Draft, has spent the majority of the season roaming centre-half forward for Geelong’s VFL team.

He has done so with aplomb, making his deeds even more significant.

Simpson was again in the best players on the weekend as Geelong beat Sandringham to keep its finals hopes alive.

After Geelong's all-conquering 2007 season, several players who had spent the bulk of the year at VFL level left in search of greener pastures.

The result? A far younger, less-experienced VFL side for coach Leigh 'Lurker' Tudor.

"Lurker asked me what position I wanted to play and I said centre-half forward and he said 'Alright, that’s yours'," Simpson recalled of his arrival at the Cattery late last year.

"I thought that was pretty good. He said I’d be playing 75 per cent of game time but I’ve been playing closer to 90 or 100 per cent game time."

In one match – which would have gone a long way to repay the faith of recruiting manager Stephen Wells – Simpson booted eight goals against Williamstown.

While the round four clash was a red-letter day for the young Cat, in hindsight the performance perhaps set the bar a little high.

"I kicked the eight goals in one game and in doing so probably put the expectation on myself, thinking I’ve got to do that every week but I think that’s a bit unrealistic," he said.

"I think I’ve been good in patches but a bit inconsistent, so I’ve been trying to work on that."

A hulk of a lad in junior football, aided by playing rugby from the age of three, this year Simpson has added three kilograms to an already sizeable frame.

Now an imposing 195cm and 95kg, he believes he doesn’t need to find too much more bulk but is intent on further strengthening his legs in a bid to overcome his "dicky knees".

A few knee dislocations in his junior days and a mid-year arthroscope have slightly interrupted his debut season, although he is confident the joints won’t be a concern in the future.

Instead, he is looking forward to his continued improvement and development that he hopes will one day land him a spot in the AFL's benchmark outifit.

With decent speed and a capable engine, the former Dandenong Stingray registered more than 14 in the beep test at last year’s draft camp and said he enjoyed learning his trade from one of the best.

"I’ve started to talk to Moons (Cameron Mooney) a fair bit now and get some good advice off him because I’ve realised he’s obviously such a quality player," Simpson said.