YOUNG Walyalup star Luke Jackson managed to leave his Naarm premiership teammates on such good terms at the end of last season that any attempt to rattle him in Saturday's clash at the MCG would be seen as almost laughable, according to the forward/ruck's manager.

Jackson returns to Melbourne for his first clash against the Demons more than six months on from the blockbuster trade that netted his former club a pair of first-round draft picks as well as the Dockers' second-round selection this year.

The 21-year-old has hit a purple patch of form that has seen him play a key role in the Dockers' three consecutive wins while also going a long way to show why Walyalup was willing to pay a high price for him, both financially and at the trade table.  

But while the Demons will need to address his impact, Jackson's manager Jason Dover said he would be surprised if the club's approach was to target the premiership big man physically.

"He's such a likeable person that if anyone does try to go him from the other team it would almost be laughable," Dover told AFL.com.au.

"They all know each other so well that there is still going to be underlying respect there, and that's both ways.

"I think the good thing about how it ended was he went to the mad Monday celebrations, and then after the Trade Period he was still getting messages from the boys and sent messages.

"It was handled really well by the club and hopefully by us as well, and he left on good terms. He wasn't leaving the footy club because he'd fallen out with them … and they knew that."

The combination of Jackson's early form and Walyalup's 2-5 start to the season had led to premature criticism of the deal struck by the Dockers, whose 2023 first-round selection was potentially going to turn into a top-five pick for the Demons.

The past three weeks, however, have seen Jackson emerge rapidly as the player the Dockers knew they would be getting, starting with a career-best 24 disposals (16 contested), two goals, and 10 coaches votes against Hawthorn in round eight.

He followed that up with three goals against Sydney at the SCG and has found a good balance of time in attack and then stints onball as both a ruckman and ground-level midfielder.

While his 12.9 from nine games has just eclipsed former Docker Rory Lobb's 11.6 at the Bulldogs, the Walyalup big man's impact as a second ruckman and occasional midfielder has also been superior.

Any analysis of the Dockers' trade should also account for the extra opportunities and responsibility being enjoyed by young key forward Jye Amiss as a result, with the 19-year-old kicking 16 goals and taking 14 contested marks so far this season.   

"It always felt like it was coming," Dover said of Jackson's form. "It wasn't like he was missing in action and not in the play, so we always knew it going to improve.  

"We always had the attitude too that it was always going to take a little bit of time to adjust to a new team, and I've probably been surprised by how quickly he's managed to adjust.

"I think what they were asking him to do and the role they were asking him to play was also quite complicated in terms of what he had previously been doing."

Coach Justin Longmuir this week spoke about Jackson's commitment to learning his forward role and his ability to reflect on his performances and understand expectations.

The coach believed his early form issues were blown out of proportion, recognising that the tide would turn once Jackson starting to take his opportunities and finish his hard work.  

"All along he's been really committed to working on his craft in terms of his marking and all the things it takes to be a good AFL player," Longmuir said. 

"He just wasn't taking his opportunities, (but) now he's able to take his opportunities and convert his hard work into scores.

"If he's not scoring himself, he's able to set up scores. His work ethic is fantastic and that's allowed him to make the most of some of those opportunities."

Jackson's family will travel to Melbourne for Saturday's game and Dover expected the former Demon's return to the MCG was likely to bring back good memories from his first three seasons in the AFL. 

Reflecting on last year's trade negotiations, which lasted officially from Jackson's request on September 13 through to the deal being finalised on October 10, Dover said he had never felt concerned that the clubs would not come to an arrangement.

The Dockers, who had targeted Jackson from a long way out, knew they needed to deliver value back to the Demons and never backed away from their responsibilities in the deal.

If anything, Dover said, they had over-delivered based on comparable trades to make sure the deal was completed.

"Luke had only spent three years at Melbourne, and often those types of players won't play in that time," Dover said.

"But he'd managed to play and have a really big impact in a good team, so I think the decision makers at Fremantle knew what they were getting.

"But I still think it's premature assessing where Luke's at and I think he's still got way more development to come."