Adelaide midfielder Sam Berry says his improvement over the past fortnight has come from “getting back to the things he does best.”
The 22-year-old has been a staple in the Crows’ midfield since returning from the bye, recording a season-high 21 disposals against the Giants in Round 16, before backing it up with 19 against Brisbane last week.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Berry said he had put in a mountain of work to help him return to Adelaide’s midfield rotation.
“It (my improvement) has just come back to doing what I do best,” Berry said.
“I probably fell away from that a little bit, in terms of my contested ball stuff, quick feet and work around stoppage, especially last year and at the start of this season.
“Throughout that time I wasn’t performing to the level I wanted to, and put in a lot of work to turn it around.
“Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve started to get back to where I want to be, there is still a lot of room to improve, so I’ll just keep chipping away to try and keep that momentum going.”
Prior to the bye, Berry was used as the substitute on five occasions.
He reflected on playing the role and how it has made him “hungrier” to cement his spot in the team.
“It’s been a funny year, I’ve played a lot of games in the sub role and have been fighting to cement my spot,” Berry said.
“Being the sub a few times, it certainly made me hungrier to get back into the side and playing full games.
“To get back in the side with some full games over the past couple of weeks has been great, I’ve really enjoyed being out there and just love playing AFL footy.
“I’m trying to soak it up as much as I can and improve every week.”
Adelaide faces St Kilda at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night, with the first bounce at 7pm.
All kids aged 14 years old and under will get free access to the game when an adult ticket is purchased.
Tickets available here.