Previously, Parish admits, he would have gone into his shell, got down on himself and retreated when things were not running for him. This time he didn’t. He worked to stay in the moment and to stay confident and involved. It’s easier said than thought.

“I have been working on being in the present and bringing your A game all the time. I have been working really hard on staying positive and on my mental game,” he said.

Mentally he has been challenged again with the disruptions the Bombers have endured over the past fortnight with their game against Melbourne cancelled.

Parish, 22, ran a lot with his brother during isolation so he feels fitter and had confidence in his body and fitness late in the game, but the bigger improvement was attitude.

“I have worked really hard on the mental side of things, trying to stay positive and present and in the moment for longer, especially when you are playing forward and you are not always around the ball. Previously I would get down on myself.”

In fact, he doubts that in the same circumstances in a game last year he would have been able to have the impact he did in the last quarter. Last year he would have dropped confidence and connection to the game.

Early last season, he was dropped and his belief and confidence understandably took a hit. One of the concerns for him to work on was this concept that even when it has not been your day it might be your moment, that at any stage you can still make a difference. Against the Swans he delivered on that lesson to stunning effect, not only did winning a lot of possession in the last term but kicking the critical goal.

“When I got dropped at the start of last season it really hurt my belief and confidence,” he said. “It wasn’t a great feeling but you go to the coaches and ask, 'What do I need to do, what do I need to be better at?' and they were great. It was nothing too big, it was just to get back to work on your strengths, focus on your strengths.’’

Hand in hand with that was not to dwell on weaknesses and to remind yourself what you do well and why you are in the team.

“I have done a lot of work on that mental side and this year I have worked a lot with forwards coach Dan Jordan, who has been great for me, and with Blake Caracella,'' he said.

He still sees himself longer term as spending more time as a midfielder than as a forward, and that could become a short-term reality, for with Dyson Heppell out injured, Parish would be a natural choice to be among those to spend more time in the midfield against Melbourne on Sunday.

Whether it is forward or in the midfield, he knows that he'll be focusing on doing what he does best in the game, for the whole game.