Michael Ross is edging closer to making his AFL debut after another impressive performance in the Bendigo Bombers' 41-point loss to Port Melbourne on Saturday.
 
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The Bombers led the unbeaten Boroughs for most of the first half, and only trailed by 17 points at the final change before Port Melbourne broke away in the last quarter.

 

After flying home from Adelaide on Friday night having been named an emergency of the Essendon line-up, the 19-year-old running defender was a standout in Bendigo's third consecutive loss.


""He gets better and better every week,"" Bendigo coach Shannon Grant said.


""If he continues to play the way he is, I'm sure he'll get an opportunity in the seniors at some stage. He's a really mature kid and has a good head on his shoulders.

 

""He's really starting to understand the work he needs to do to become an AFL footballer and his development throughout the course of the year has been great. I'm really pleased for him because he's a kid who tries as hard as he can to get the best out of himself all of the time.""

 

Rookie-listed midfielder Taite Silverlock was pushed into a defensive role and played one of his best games of the season against Port Melbourne.


""We played him down back and he did a role for us and was pretty good,"" Grant said.

 

""He played on their smaller forwards who are pretty damaging when the ball gets in there, so to be able to beat his opponents and also give us a bit of run out of the backline was really pleasing for Taite.""


Scott Gumbleton, though inaccurate in front of goal, continued to work hard and move well over the ground in his fourth game back from injury, and Jake Carlisle again imposed himself on the game from centre half-back.

 

Grant said being able to play at either end of the ground has aided Carlisle's growth as a player.


""It's great for his development. He's playing some really good footy down back, but I'm sure when he does go forward that it's certainly going to help his footy and his development,"" he said.

 

Defender Cale Hooker, who returned from a hamstring injury suffered in Essendon's round 13 loss to North Melbourne, sat out the second half of the game with a leg injury.

 

""It was just soreness. He copped a knock and we took the really conservative approach with him and decided to get him off the ground and not risk it,"" Grant said.


""As unfortunate as it was, we had to make sure we looked after him and looked at the bigger picture as well. We need him fit, we need him ready to get himself right so he can get himself back into the senior side.""