Carlton defender Lachie Plowman has at times drawn the ire of fans over the years but as the Blues march towards a potential finals campaign, the quiet unassuming defender has seen his form rise week-by-week.
Plowman was the number one rated player on the ground last weekend against GWS according to AFL Player Ratings and has been putting together a solid year in defence.
With the struggles of the Blues in recent seasons, Plowman has at times, perhaps unfairly, been the whipping boy for Carlton fans.
Despite that he says that social media feedback isn't something he takes great notice in, rather choosing to surround himself with a support network he trusts.
"No matter where you go these days social media is getting bigger and bigger," Plowman told Zero Hanger.
"It's a great avenue for sponsored revenue for the club and digital marketing so it's going to happen wherever you go.
"Personally myself, I'm not one to read much into it. You can't play great every game but you don't go out there to do your worst. It's about having great support around you."
The 27-year-old has put his current form down to team defence. Plowman said that after years of toiling away with little team reward, this year has been one to enjoy so far.
"It's been a bit of a different year," Plowman said.
"The playing group itself has taken a while to build. But it's good to see us putting in a four quarter effort and that comes with the trust and reliability of playing with each other for a bit."
The former Giant started the year outside of Carlton's best side but quickly found his way back in with the Blues' defensive stocks suffering a number of injuries across the season.
With Michael Voss' arrival came a clean slate for Carlton players and the defender found himself outside the best 22 come pre-season. Plowman spoke about the challenge of being on the outer for the first time since his arrival at Ikon Park.
"This pre-season was probably a challenging one and I set my sights on, to try and cement a spot," Plowman said.
"Vossy gave everyone a clean slate. It was challenging not playing straight away but at the same time it builds a personal resilience and inner drive within yourself.
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"Obviously you want to play every week but things don't go to plan, it was about having those conversations with Vossy and Aaron Hamill. We set out a clear plan on what I can work on and what my competitive advantage is to help the team."
As the Blues close in on a first finals appearance since 2013, the lock-down defender said that he and his teammates were enjoying the change in fortunes but know there's still work to be done.
"We've had some tough times so this year getting some wins has been great. It's about riding those highs but not being content about where we are at," Plowman acknowledged.
"Winning is a great thing and playing some good footy (personally) helps. But at the end of the day if I play my role, the team plays well and we win, that's why we play footy every week. I'm happy if I can contribute to the team."
