In just his fifth season since making his debut as a 17-year-old in 2009, Hannebery will line up for his 100th game when the Swans meet Carlton in Saturday night’s semi final, and despite his youth will be one of the Swans’ leading midfielders at ANZ Stadium.
Speaking to SwansTV ahead of his 100-game milestone, Hannebery attributes his rise to the faith the Swans’ coaching staff put in him as a teenager.
“I came into the club as a 17-year-old and was lucky enough to get my opportunity under Roosy (former coach Paul Roos) back in ’09 and get a few games that season, which really helped my pre-season and footy going forward from there,” Hannebery said.
“Obviously I was pretty lucky to get the opportunity at the club and I think we weren’t making the finals that year and Roosy asked if I was up for playing a few games and asked if I was up to it.
“I said I’d love to take the opportunity to play and it was a big challenge at the time going to school for a few days and then flying up here to train and then playing, but it was something I really enjoyed.
“I’m just thankful to all my coaches and my team mates for giving me the opportunity and helping me play the footy I play.”
When Hannebery played his first game, which coincidently was also against Carlton in round 16, 2009, he was still completing year 12 at Melbourne’s Xavier College.
Current Swans coach John Longmire said the skill set and courage Hannebery showed as a teenager was a sign of things to come for the talented young footballer.
“I remember Daniel Hannebery’s first game,” Longmire said.
“He was still going to school and Roosy was the coach at the time and we threw him up at match committee and we then had to sit down and seriously consider whether we actually played a kid who was still going to school in Melbourne.
“He got a game when he was still going to school in Melbourne, which is quite extraordinary really, and he got a game because we knew he was fit and we knew he was a massive competitor and he wouldn’t take a backwards step and that’s what he’s shown throughout his career to date.
“It’s a pretty rapid, quick-fire 100 games of football and it’s a real credit to him to be able to start off his career as a school boy and to be playing 100 games so quickly.”
It’s clear that the Swans made the right call in taking Hannebery with pick 30, who went on to win the 2010 AFL Rising Star award after playing 21 games, including two finals, in his second year.
This year the Swans’ number four has again improved his game and was nominated in the 40-man All-Australian squad last week, was named in the AFLPA’s 22 under-22-team and was voted by his peers as the second most courageous player in the league behind Geelong captain, Joel Selwood, at the 2013 Be the Influence AFL Players’ MVP Awards.
Hannebery has also become one of the club’s most consistent players, and has missed just one game since round 22, 2010 and had played 72-straight games up until the Swans’ round 23 match this season, which Hannebery missed with bone bruising in his knee.
Hannebery, who returned for the Swans qualifying final loss to Hawthorn last Friday night, said he hoped his 100th game would be significantly better than his 99th.
“We’re looking forward to getting out there and hopefully giving a good account of ourselves this week and getting a win for the club and pressing through to a preliminary final,” he said.
“To drop off in the second half against the Hawks was just disappointing and we know this week with Carlton putting in the performance they did (last week), we’ll have to have a really strong four-quarter performance.
“We think we’re capable of it and we know if we produce a four-quarter performance then it will go a long way towards winning and giving ourselves an opportunity.
“We want to get back out in front of our home crowd at ANZ Stadium and put in a good performance for them and give ourselves an opportunity to hopefully progress through.”
