Surprise-packet defender Tom Langdon is confident he can avoid the "second year blues" and is looking forward to cementing a spot in Collingwood's team that he feels is not yet his to take for granted.
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So composed at senior level did Langdon look in his first year that he could be forgiven for presuming another big step awaits him in 2015. However the 20-year-old acknowledges that nothing is guaranteed, and many youngsters before him have fallen into the trap of a let-down year hard on the heels of an outstanding debut season.
Although he played 19 games in 2014, Langdon said he never felt comfortable that his spot was secure and, looking longer term, he said he was aiming to take over the permanent position of retired veteran Nick Maxwell, if not moving up into the midfield.
"It's weird, external people will view it differently," said Langdon, reflecting on his terrific first year.
"Their view is that you're in the team and you're playing well, and it's all working," he said.
"But for me it's like, my first year was solid, I learnt a lot, but I've still got a lot to learn," he said.
"There is a few positions up for grabs and I don't feel like I've got mine yet so there will be no complacency creeping in.
"I'm still trying to prove myself that I can take one of those spots.
"I'm a big one for taking your opportunity, and I guess I did that to a certain extent this year, and hopefully I can do it again next year."
It's a mature outlook Langdon learnt partly after being overlooked at the 2012 draft, a situation that forced him to play VFL football in 2013 before Collingwood threw him a lifeline with pick No.65 in last year's draft.
Injuries to key members of Collingwood's defence and a strong pre-season then presented the smart ball-reader with the chance to play much earlier than he expected and he instantly looked like he belonged at the level.
The 189-centimetre defender earned his Rising Star nomination in round seven, for a big-stage performance in a win over Carlton at the MCG, and by round 12 was starting to pop up in opposition teams' scouting reports, after eight games of 20 or more disposals.
At one point mid-season, several respected judges believed Langdon's first half of the year had been worthy of mention in the All-Australian conversation, as his poise under pressure and his ability to read the ball quicker than his opponents began to stand out in a Collingwood defence that was undermanned but not underperforming.
"I guess one of my strengths is composure, and when you are composed you can probably adapt a bit quicker than some other guys," Langdon said when asked about his seemingly unflappable play.
"It's one of those things that is an intangible," he said.
"I never felt out of my depth playing – even round one against Fremantle. I always felt like I could play well and contribute.
"I didn't want to be one of those new guys that rolls along for a few weeks and then falls out."
As the season wore on, so too did Langdon's body, and he admitted to finding it difficult to get up for the last five games, and that his performance suffered as a result.
Langdon only started developing as a defender halfway through his VFL year with Sandringham, when he was moved from the wing to half-back, but already he looks like a natural.
Still, Langdon said he was excited to be told by coach Nathan Buckley in his exit interview that more game time further up the ground might be possible in 2015.
"I really enjoy playing in the midfield. I've obviously got to work on my inside game, especially at AFL level - I'm a long way off that - but potentially I could play on the wing, I reckon," he said.
