The 18-year-old, who was selected by the Swans with pick 32 in the 2013 National Draft, was named in the Swans 25-man squad last night for the first time this season after producing a number of consistent performances in the NEAFL.
Speaking to sydneyswans.com.au before leaving for Perth, Hewett said he was thrilled to get the chance to travel with the team.
“It’s my first time as travelling, and I’ve never been to Perth,” he said.
“I’m really excited and a bit nervous at the same time, but I’m really looking forward to it.”
After an injury-interrupted start to the season, which saw Hewett undergo knee surgery during the pre-season, the young South Australian has produced a series of impressive performances in the Swans reserves side, averaging 24 possessions per game over the last four rounds.
Hewett, who has played predominantly in the midfield and at half-forward, said while he was happy with his ball-winning ability his focus over the last month has been to improve his on-field pressure and defensive game.
“I’m finding the ball a bit, but I think I’ve got a lot of things to improve on, including my defensive work,” he said.
“That’s been my main area of improvement for the last five or six weeks so I still have a long way to go in that area.
“I’m really enjoying what I’ve been tasked with, so hopefully I can make those improvements.”
The North Adelaide junior has been working closely with club Development Manager Josh Francou, to improve his game, as well as senior mentor and leading Swans midfielder, Josh Kennedy.
“I’m quite close with Josh (Francou) and he’s helped me with my midfield work and he’s given me a lot of stuff to work on, particular with my defensive work,” Hewett said.
“I’ve also had a lot of help from Josh Kennedy, who is my senior mentor.
“I’ve had a bit to do with him and I had tea with him a few weeks ago, which was really enjoyable.
“He’s obviously a very smart player and I’ve just been talking to him about how I’ve been going and he’s been really good.”
While Hewett will be on the other side of the country, the Swans reserves will travel south to Wollongong this weekend to take on Ainslie at North Dalton Park on Sunday.
Following their 43-point loss to UWS last weekend at the SCG, Hewett said the team would be determined to turn things around this week.
“Last week we unfortunately lost to UWS, so we’ve got a lot to improve on,” he said.
“I think we mainly need to work on our intensity and just working for each other.
“It’s just about intensity.
“We need to work for each other and hopefully we get the points.”
Sunday’s match will be a big day for football in the Illawarra region, with three matches set to be played on the day.
AFL Sydney's Division 1 match between the Illawarra Lions and the UTS Bats will be the curtain-raiser to the NEAFL match, with AFL Sydney Women and AFL South Coast matches to follow.
