Patrick Ambrose entered the season as a tough, hard running forward.

A couple of months on and the toughness and endurance remain, but Ambrose is now becoming entrenched in the Essendon defence.

Line Coach Mark Harvey pushed for Ambrose to switch to the backline throughout the off-season and the foresight appears to be paying off.

“He is in a learning phase as a defender and he’s playing on some pretty talented players,” Essendon Coach John Worsfold told Bomber Radio.

“We’ve been rapt with how he’s going.

“We know Patty is a heart and soul player, works to get everything out of himself.”

Ambrose took the less traditional route to the AFL.

He played junior football with Ashburton and Xavier College, before linking with Coburg in the VFL.

After a year there, he reunited with his schoolmates at Old Xavs in the Victorian Amateur Football Association.  Late in the season he played seven games with the Bombers in the VFL.

A few months later, Essendon selected Ambrose in the Rookie Draft.

The 24 year old now has 42 games under his belt and in recent weeks, Ambrose has been opposed to Jack Riewoldt, Jack Gunston, Matthew Pavlich and Jeremy Cameron.

“Harvs is challenging him with some really big roles and he’s been standing up to it,” Worsfold told Bomber Radio.

“While we had (Michael) Hartley out, he was a critical part in helping us.

“We did play against a pretty tall forward line for GWS on the weekend and he played on one of the most talented forwards going around and did a great job.”