Sam Wicks admits he is proud of the individual season that saw him become a core part of a star-studded forward line in 2021, but insists the heart-breaking loss in the Elimination Final has made the Swans hungrier for success.

Contributing to a stunning turnaround that saw the club finish 16th in 2020 to sixth this season, Wicks almost achieved his goal of playing every match this season with his one-game suspension having him fall just short of the mark

But reflecting on a season that saw him earn his spot week-to-week off the back of strong form, Wicks says the excitement that's been built around the playing group as something he desperately wants to be part of moving forward.

"I'd describe the season as really positive considering where we came from last year. We have a really exciting group of boys in this team and it showed this year with some great wins," he said.

"Round One (against Brisbane Lions) was a highlight with Braeden (Campbell), Errol (Gulden) and Logan (McDonald) all making their debuts and we got a massive win up there.

"Then the Richmond game also stands out - knocking off the reigning premiers on their home deck was awesome as well."

Their emphatic win against Richmond in Round 3 was one that ultimately set the platform for a vastly improved season. It was the Swans third consecutive victory to start the new campaign and help them rightfully make their mark as one of the competition heavyweights.

Wicks was in the thick and arguably one of the Swans best on ground -  recording 21 disposals, 13 marks, three goals and three tackles in one of his best displays of the year.

While he highlighted that game as one of his favourites, Wicks says he is most proud of being able to earn a spot in the Top 22 for a majority of the season.

"My main goal going into the year was to play as many games as possible which I was able to do - except one from suspension which was unfortunate," he said.

"But other than that I was able to play every other game which I was really proud of."

With the unwavering potential of a youthful Swans outfit that defied the critics to return to finals football, Wicks is desperate to be part of it moving forward.

He has set his sights firmly on returning to the finals in 2022, and will use the upcoming pre-season as the perfect opportunity to take his game to a new level.

"I think we have got a really exciting group of players and I think we can go a long way next year," he said.

"I think the loss against the Giants has made everyone really hungry - so I would say getting some more wins with the boys next year would be unbelievable."

"There always a lot of things you can improve on in your game - i would have liked to kick a few more goals.

":Finishing in-front of goal and getting bigger and stronger will be good for my development."