But 18-year-old Jake Spencer swears he has resisted the urge to pull out a voodoo doll in an effort to fast-track his already promising career.

The ruckman became the first Townsville product to be drafted by a senior AFL club in December when selected as the Demons' third rookie pick and 35th in the draft overall.

Spencer has quickly made a name for himself too, impressing on the training paddock with Melbourne and while playing in the VFL with Sandringham.

And at 203cm and 98kg he has the dimensions to compete with two of the club's A-grade ruckmen Jeff White and Paul Johnson.

But while the Demons are languishing at the foot of the AFL ladder, Spencer knows his good performances can only get him so far for the moment.

"I have to really wait for someone to be put on the long-term injury list and that enables a club to elevate a rookie on to the senior list," he said from Melbourne this week.

"So I virtually have to wait for a ruckman to go down for eight weeks or longer.

"You have to wait for an injury, it's not always form-based, it's also injury-based."

Johnson was recently ruled out for four weeks with a broken hand – not quite long enough for Spencer to be considered for elevation.

So what about turning to a bit of black magic to make sure the next injury is of the long-term variety?

"A lot of people say that when you tell them what the situation is, but nothing like that," Spencer laughed.

One of the biggest shocks to the system for Spencer since moving south has been dealing with the off-field scrutiny that comes with being a football player in AFL's homeland.

But make no mistake, it's on the park that has taken the most adjusting to.

A star with the Hermit Park Tigers before moving to Brisbane last year, Spencer admitted that coming up against such high-calibre players had been a slight knock to his ego at first.

"It's been obviously a lot higher level and standard of skill, it's pretty full-on, it's every day and I didn't realise it would be so mentally draining," he said.

"That has probably been the biggest shock, how much it does take out of you mentally.

"The skill level and the size of the bodies and the fitness levels, they're all kind of elite.

"My first VFL game I was rucking up against a guy who was 6'10" and he was the biggest guy that I have ever played against, so it was definitely like a wake-up call.

"It shows you're not as good as you think you are, I guess."

Spencer, who has played three games with Sandringham this season, is on a one-year contract with Melbourne and is desperate to continue living his dream beyond 2008.

But, as tough as it might be, he is doing his best not to put too much pressure on himself.

"It's a once in a lifetime opportunity so you have got to make the most of it," Spencer said.

"But the club said all they want to see is improvement.

"I don't have to be best on ground every week, it's just so they can see a level of improvement and see that I am always keen to learn more, then they said they will more than likely give me another shot."