JESSE Hogan's mouthwatering combination of talent and workrate will see him become a star of the competition, says Melbourne teammate Chris Dawes.

Hogan, 20, showed he is more than capable of living up to the massive expectations placed upon him by handing Richmond star Alex Rance a rare beating in a critical duel that helped the Demons' to a surprise 31-point win on Friday night.

Match report: Dees win battle of the 'G

In a game played in wet conditions in the second half at the MCG, Hogan had 13 possessions (seven contested), took six marks and kicked 2.1.

His three contested marks and four score assists were game-highs.

Fellow key forward Dawes was effusive in his praise of his aggressive forward partner, suggesting Hogan had already relegated him to a decoy role.

"He's going to be a star of the competition in a few years, if not sooner, and I've got no doubt he'll become a complete player," Dawes told AFL.com.au.

"Rance was All Australian last year, so he's no slouch. To take some of the contested marks Jesse did in the wet just shows what a talent he is and how big a future he has, and we're lucky to have him.

"But it's not as though he's only doing the freakish things and taking the big marks. The thing we like most about him internally is his workrate … and that was on full display tonight."

Dawes said Hogan's appetite for the contest throughout the Demons' 2-2 start has stood out.

"He's been so consistent in those areas over the first four rounds, even when the team's form has been patchy," Dawes said.

"That's a great trait for a key forward at such a young age.

"His defensive pressure is really high and his understanding of the nuances of the game is really impressive.

"It makes my job a lot easier. My role is fast becoming just a decoy for him. But I'm happy to do that if it means we keep winning games like this."

Hogan has kicked two goals in each of his four AFL games, and Dawes said the youngster was level-headed and unfazed by external pressures.

"A lot of guys struggle when they have all this media hype around them, but to Jesse's credit he's been able to ignore a lot of that and only worry about what's relevant. And that's the opinion of the coaching staff and his teammates," he said.

Dawes, who slotted the Demons' first two goals against the Tigers, including the first that was set up by Hogan after out-bodying Rance, believes his team's attack has the potential to be very potent.

"If we can get the ball in quick to one-on-ones, we'll back most of our tall forwards against any defenders in the competition," he said.

"If it's dry – well, Jesse doesn't need it to be dry because he plucks them in the wet just as easily – we're pretty confident our forwards can do some damage this year."

With Hogan taking the honours in his battle with Rance, Essendon great Matthew Lloyd declared the 20-year-old could be a Melbourne poster boy for the next decade.

"He's been consistent," Melbourne coach Paul Roos said of Hogan post-match.

"He's kicked two goals – it's not like he's kicked 10 – but his effort is really good. As long as he gives effort, people can put his poster up if they want …

"I think it's his workrate that makes him so hard to play on. He's played on probably the two best centre half-(backs) back-to-back and he's had two similar games.

"He doesn't get fazed. If he drops a mark, he goes after the next one. If the ball hits the deck, he generally follows up. If Rance marks one on him, as he did a couple of times, he'll compete the next time.

"It's a really good trait when you're a competitor. He's (got) a big tank – he can run really well.

"I can't complain about his form when he's doing that."