A significant rise in fitness and confidence levels have paved the way for tough, young Richmond defender Matt Dea to take on a more attacking role in the team’s back half.

Dea, who has been plagued with injuries since making his AFL debut in 2010, returned to the Tigers’ line-up, for his first game of the 2014 season, in the Round 10 clash with Greater Western Sydney.

The 22-year-old has retained his place in the side since then, displaying an impressive mix of defensive and offensive football across the backline.

He is averaging just on 15 disposals per game, while still maintaining his ability to negate opponents.

“It’s been probably the biggest knock on my game through my whole career so far – not getting enough of the footy,” Dea said on this week’s edition of the Club’s official podcast, “Talking Tigers”.

“So, I definitely want to increase my handball receives and hit my targets in my kicks, get the confidence off the rest of the boys to know that I’m not going to turn it over and then, hopefully, get the ball in my hands.

“Early days, it was a fitness issue.  I was like, I don’t want to run too offensively, because I’ll get burnt defensively the other way.

“But now I’ve built up my fitness, and it’s just a confidence thing and being able to read the game . . .”

Dea said that Richmond’s coach Damien Hardwick encourages the team’s defenders to push forward as much as they can.

“It sort of gets our game up and going when the half-backs get involved and start kicking inside 50,” he said.

“I guess it’s just myself understanding, that is part of my role.  It’s not just my role to shut down my ‘oppo’, but to get the footy and start kicking inside 50.”