Rising Richmond star Nick Vlastuin admits he was in “survival mode” during the last couple of weeks of the Tigers’ 2013 campaign.

Not that you would have known it, judging by the 19-year-old’s bold efforts in Richmond’s elimination final loss to Carlton before a massive crowd of 94,690 at the MCG.

Vlastuin performance across half-back was one of the key factors in the Tigers surging to a 32-point lead early in the third quarter, before, ultimately, being over-run by the Blues.

“To get through a whole season, as a first-year player, has been pretty hard,” Vlastuin told ‘Roar Vision’.

“The last couple of weeks, I was in survival mode.

“Even ‘Dimma’ (Damien Hardwick) said to me, ‘You’re not going to get fitter, you’re not going to get stronger’.  It was just about maintaining what I had and trying to survive, really.

“I’d been pretty sore and doing a lot of recovery . . .”

Vlastuin played 18 games in his debut season of AFL football, averaging 16.3 disposals per match, 4.8 marks and finishing a highly-creditable sixth in the competition’s prestigious Rising Star award.

He attributes his successful transition from TAC Cup football with the Northern Knights, to the game’s highest level at Tigerland, to a good deal of sound advice from his new teammates and coaches . . .

“Everyone’s helped me a little bit,” he said.

“’Brando (Brandon Ellis) and ‘Reecey’ (Reece Conca) said what they did in their first year (of AFL football) after they played a couple of games as well, so they really helped.

“Also, ‘Choco’ (Mark Williams), because he’s seen a lot of first-years (players) go by.”

In typically modest style, Vlastuin is now focused on taking that next step, in order to benefit the Club.

“Getting through this year’s the baseline now, so I know I have to keep improving,” he said.

“The way I’m looking at it, if Richmond wants to keep moving forward, you get the most improvement out of your bottom six players.

“So, I’ve got to improve if Richmond is to improve.”