Determined Richmond small defender Steve Morris admits he is still pinching himself, as he prepares to play a finals game in Tiger colours this Sunday against Carlton.

Morris, who arrived at Tigerland at the end of 2011, has enjoyed a whirlwind two seasons, culminating in the Club ending its 12-year finals drought this season.

The 24-year-old puts it down to timing, and a dose of good luck.

“Not only two years ago, but four and five years ago, I was running around in the SANFL.  When I first went over there, I couldn’t even get a game in the seniors, for the first little bit,” Morris told Radio Sport National.

“In the last two years, it’s all gone pretty quickly, and when you think about guys like Chris Newman, Daniel Jackson and Jake King – guys who have been around the Club for near on 10 years or more, I’m pretty lucky to come to the Club when it’s really thriving.

“Guys like myself and Brandon (Ellis) and Nick Vlastuin are really lucky to come to such a great club at a great time.”

Morris has excelled in his second season in AFL ranks, shutting down the opposition’s best small forwards.

He is, however, constantly battling to find the right balance in his role in the back half.

“I’ve really had to work on a few aspects of my game, in terms of the balance between offence and defence,” he said.

“I think I’m getting that balance right, at the right time of the year.

“I’m starting to have an influence, offensively.  It was probably something that was lacking earlier in the season.

“I was doing a good job defensively, but I just wasn’t able to hurt the opposition teams the other way.”