A lot has changed in the last 12 months for Swans midfielder Tom Mitchell, but the 19-year-old is hoping for even greater changes in 2013.

The Swans first round draft pick from last year, who was taken at number 21 as a father-son selection, experienced an inconsistent first year at the club, with ongoing injuries preventing him from performing at his best.

Mitchell showed plenty of promise in the Swans reserves throughout the season, but ongoing injury management resulted in the midfielder playing limited game time for the majority of the season.

While most of the Swans playing group are still enjoying their off-season break, Mitchell has already returned to the club in the hope of building a solid pre-season base which will set him up for the year ahead.

“I had knee tendonitis all year, which kept me out for most of the season and then I had a stress fracture in my foot towards the end of the year, so the medical staff thought it would be best to wind the season up early and try to prepare for season 2013,” Mitchell told sydneyswans.com.au.

“With the team going so deep into the finals this year we start (pre-season) a bit later, so with me being injured, it’s good to come in and get a bit of a head start and try and be as fit as I can before the other boys come back.

“My break started a little bit earlier than everyone else so I wanted to take this opportunity to really get my fitness up before the full pre-season begins.”

This year will also be Mitchell’s first full pre-season, and the teenager said he can’t wait for the challenge.

“I just want to get stuck into it and see how I go,” he said.

“I had a pretty interrupted pre-season last year, so hopefully I can get as fit as possible this year and hopefully try and push for senior selection next year.

“You have to put the effort in in pre-season and that will put you in good stead, so I’m sure the boys will be ready to go day one of pre-season to start preparing for another good year.
“I know the drive will be there to have a successful season and the hard work starts now, and if you want to succeed (pre-season) is where it starts.”

In his first year at the Swans, Mitchell learnt a lot about how to operate as a professional athlete as well as what it will take to play at the highest level.

He said he admired the way the Swans senior group went about their business this year and also now understands what is required to go to that next level.

“I really learnt about the professionalism required just to be a good player,” he said.

“There are a lot of examples around the club and you just pick up little things along the way about how to look after your body and the extra work you need to do.

“The minimum is not going to be enough and there is just so much hard work required to make it as an AFL player.”

Mitchell added that the team’s ultimate success in 2012 was the perfect motivation for him to step up his game in 2013.

“Obviously I was really happy for the boys because it was a great effort to achieve what they did, but it does drive me to want to apart of something like that one day and be in a premiership team," Mitchell said.

“You have got to put the hard work in if you’re going to get to that stage, so it’s good to be starting training now and I’m really looking forward to next year.”