James Parsons is quietly putting together an excellent debut season in the VFL.

Since being selected with pick 27 in the 2015 rookie draft, Parsons has been consistently building and now looks to be an established VFL player.

The 19-year-old showed his development on Sunday, with one of his best performances for the season in the win against Essendon.

Parsons finished with 27 disposals with 16 by foot whilst also racking up six marks, four tackles and three clearances.

READ: Angus Kramer's VFL match report

Geelong VFL Coach Shane O’Bree was pleased with Parsons’ match and how far he has come along this season.

“With Parso, the thing we have been working on is his contested ball and he is getting a lot of more the ball because he is winning or halving those contests,” O’Bree said.

“His composure with the ball is improving every week too, he is building nicely.”

The rookie midfielder was amongst the Cats’ best players but was disappointed he wasn’t able to convert more of his shots on goal, after kicking two goals and four behinds.

“It’s good to get on the end of them but I should be a bit better at converting,” Parsons said after the match.

“I’ve hit a few posts in the last couple of weeks and had a few misses but it’s good to kick a goal here and there.”

While Parsons is happy with his own form, he is pleased with how the season is shaping for the Cats after what was a poor start to the season.

“(O’Bree) is getting on us after a shaky start to the year and it’s good to get into form now going into the finals,” Parsons said.

“The boys are playing well and it’s good to be part of a team that is really driven.”

The Cats currently sit at sixth on the VFL ladder and look likely to feature in September.

“(Finals) is what we are striving for and hopefully we get there and if we keep playing the way we are now, there is no doubt we should be playing finals,” Parsons said.

Like his side, Parsons has come along way since the start of the year, when he was a skinny newcomer stuck in the rehab group.

Parsons spent the majority of his early time at the club recovering from a stress fracture in his foot that occurred during the TAC Cup season.

“I got to the club and pretty much went straight into rehab and I have been really lucky and fortunate to be with the medical crew here,” Parsons said.

The Eastern Ranges product also credits his recent weight gain as a factor in his improved form.

“The inside work was something I wasn’t too great at when I came to the club being 70-75 kilos, so I’ve put a few kilos on and that has helped,” Parsons said.

“I am sitting at about 82kg now so I have put a bit on but I did come to the club with a bit of injury so I was a bit light when I got here.”

Working with experienced players and coaches at the club has also helped Parsons learn quickly about what it takes to be an elite footballer.

“Working with George Horlin-Smith in there and Patty (Dangerfield) as well at training, they have been really helping me,” Parsons said.

“Darcy Lang is one that is really talkative around the ground and he helps all the boys set up so he is definitely one I have paid a bit of attention to.”

The ability to bond with other players is what Parsons loves about VFL football, as it involves many young players from not only the Cats list, but local clubs as well.

The talented rookie believes that this year’s group of VFL players is able to gel easily, especially with their recent success.

”All the boys gel really well and since we’ve started to get some good form together, we have really been bonding which is helping out on the ground,” he said.

“You don’t really think of them as VFL-listed, you just think of them as the boys.”