FORWARDS coach Corey Enright has praised second-year goal sneak Brad Close for the continued improvement in his game.

After winning the club’s Best Young Player award at last year’s Carji Greeves Medal, Close has locked himself into the side’s best 22.

Close earned his spot in the senior side in Round 4 after an injury interrupted pre-season and hasn’t looked back.

The Mount Gambier product has improved his output across the board, taking his goals per game average from 0.25 to 1.17 and gathering almost six more disposals per game compared to his 2020 debut season.

Enright says his squeaky clean pair of hands has been a big asset for the forward group.

“His ability to take the ball cleanly, particularly under pressure and then give it off to a teammate is something that he works on and he’s showing it in his game,” Enright says.

“It’s something that he works on a lot, his one take and his groundball opportunities and his front and square work.

"He’s working well with the other forwards and he’s working underneath those big forwards.

Close’s clean hands have already generated four goal assists, three of those coming in the last three matches ranking him fourth at the club.

“His ability to know where to go, particularly inside forward 30, and we saw on the weekend his clean hands result in a nice goal between him and Sav,” Enright says.

“He’s picked up where he left off. He had a taste of it last year and he came back and improved his game.

“It’s nice to see him playing some consistent footy. It’s a tough role sometimes but he’s playing well and impacting on all sides of the ball. He’s playing his role really well.”

While improving his game on the offensive side of the ball, Close has continued to utilise his lightning-quick leg speed to pile on the pressure.

Close averages the most tackles inside 50 per game at the club.

“It’s a big, big, big part of his game – his ability to apply pressure and have the contest in the front of his mind,” Enright says.

“He has the ability to work both ways, he gets up the ground and applies enormous pressure particularly inside forward 60 to 70 where the opposition defenders are trying to run it out.

“That’s really, really important for us and for him and he’s doing it at a high level at the moment.

There is no greater example of Close’s dogged pursuit of the opposition than his chase-down tackle of Dougal Howard to seal Friday Night’s clash with the Saints.

“It was good to see him put that pressure on and take his time and think his way through the kick and execute,” Enright says.

“It came at an important time of the game. Any time the small forwards can get the impact to hit the scoreboard and take their opportunities it’s important.”