MANNING the oppositions best forward each week is no easy task, but Sam Frost is continuing to grow in 2019.

The key defender got the better of Jarryd Roughead in Melbourne’s five-point win over Hawthorn on Saturday and was influential in some telling moments late in the game.

With the crowd roaring and the season on the line, Frost thrived under the pressure on the MCG.

“It was pretty intense,” he told Melbourne Media.

“[There were] a bunch of nerves, but it’s a position we’ve been in a bunch of times before so it’s a bit of fun.

“The crowd gets a bit more involved, so it was good – good to be on the winning end of it.”

With the seconds ticking down and one straight kick separating the two sides, Frost laid a crucial spoil on Hawk Chad Wingard, and dived on the ball to help the Demons clear their defensive 50.

“You’re just running on instinct at that point, I think,” Frost said.

“Again, probably a little bit of luck with the spoil and ending up with the ball in my hands, but [they were] good moments.”

The Dees were able to cling onto their second win of 2019, which will help the playing group grow in confidence.

“It’s been up and down for a number of guys – myself included,” Frost said.

“We’ve got a long way to go but [we’re] building nicely now hopefully.”

And while the win over Hawthorn was far from perfect, Frost believes his side can use it to take some momentum into the rest of the season.

“I think we always maintained our belief, but it’s just frustrating when you’re not getting the results,” he said.

“Definitely, we’ll take a bit of confidence out of the weekend heading up to Gold Coast and hopefully get on a bit of a roll now.”

While the Round 7 result was a step forward for the group, Frost acknowledged some key areas that require improvement.

“We’re focusing on team defence and contest generally,” he said.

“When our contest goes well around the ball we generally go alright. I think early on in the game we were down in that and we ended up up, so that’s sort of how the game played out as well.”

Melbourne will be looking to put together a complete four-quarter effort in its clash against the Suns at Metricon Stadium next weekend.