Essendon acting captain Brendon Goddard has revealed he has had a number of honest conversations with big man Jake Carlisle about training habits and preparation over the last month.

The 198cm-giant has been in scintillating form booting 12 goals and taking 31 marks in the last two weeks.

Goddard said the attention and close work he has put into the developing forward is paying off.

“I’m really proud of him,” Goddard said.

“Since I walked in the door and meeting him for the first time, I knew he was capable of games like this and games like last week.”

“He’s not playing anywhere above his potential, he is playing to his potential. His last couple of weeks are a reflection of his preparation too.”

“I’ve talked to Jakey a fair bit through the year and the last month or so and really worked on his preparation and training standards.”

“I think now he is starting to see what it takes to play consistently and consistently well.”

The 22-year-old was heavily criticised on the back of his early season form up forward for the Bombers, with several calls for Carlisle to return to defence.

Speaking after the match, Carlisle believes he learnt a lot during that patch of rough form.

“Towards the first half of the year, I did a lot of dead running,” he said.

“Obviously our ball movement was chip, chip and sideways. So as a forward it’s a lot harder to read and obviously get a kick, but I think in the last month we’ve just worked really hard and got it to the forwards’ advantage.”

“I’ve ran a bit smarter as well which has given me a good opportunity to run and jump at the ball.”

“I always value my hands. I’ve always gone for my marks, but at times they don’t stick, which is football.”

“My confidence is up and I’m just going to fly for every mark I can and hopefully mark it.”

The 65-gamer said the continuity embedded into him as a forward is reflecting in his recent form.

“The more we play together, the more we train together; you get know your teammates and you know the blokes who have the ball,” Carlisle said.

“If someone’s a left-footer, it’s a lot easier to hold and prop and then just go at the ball, and when the ball is kicked to my advantage it’s pretty hard to stop.”

“It’s just timing and it’s just working together, and at the moment we’re gelling together really well.”

Carlisle said he had learnt a lot off the man who he replaced as a forward, Michael Hurley, who has now flourishing in a new role as a defender.

“Me and Mick (Hurley) have done a bit of work floating back and forward,” he said.

“His attitude and aggression towards the ball has been really good.”

“We’re coaching each other and learning off each other, and at times at training we will play on each other and talk about knowing where to go and positioning.”

Fellow forward Joe Daniher was a late withdrawal from the team due an injured shoulder and Carlisle is hopeful that he will be back by his side after the bye, stressing his value to the young forward line.

“He is pretty important to us to the structure and everything we’ve done all year, and it will be good to have him back hopefully after the break,” he said.

“We did miss him tonight, even though it didn’t look like it.”

“It has been a work in progress and I think in the last couple of months me Joey and Paddy Ambrose have worked really well.”

Essendon will resume training this Saturday in hope of a big scalp when they face Sydney at the SCG next Friday night.