It’s been a long pre-season but it’s amazing how different I feel now compared to my first session way back in November.

For me that was the hardest session of the whole pre-season, and a rude shock to my system.

When we ran a time trial that day, I got beaten by all the coaches and a few staff members! They were 100 metres in front of me. And some of them are about 25 years older than me! I was hurting and I knew I had to work hard.

I was struggling, I won’t lie to you and the coach told me it was going to be a real slog to get back to being fit so I decided to work as hard as I could and now I’m feeling the best I have in my life.

Against Collingwood in the NAB Cup I felt my hard work in the pre-season was starting to pay off and then I was amazed how fit I was in the last game of the pre-season challenge, against St Kilda up in Coffs Harbour.

I didn’t expect to be that fit or be able to run that much. Last year I started most games on the bench and then after three sprints I was waving and needed a rest already.

But this year my fitness is way higher than before so I’m loving it and it will mean I can stay out on the field longer.

I can’t wait to hopefully play against Melbourne this Sunday at the MCG. I love big grounds where there is a lot of space and I can use my pace and stretch right out.

Last year there were a lot of things to get used to in my first season at the Swans. I look back now and think it was really important that my Dad told me to go back and play at Bridgetown in the seniors the year before I got drafted.

It’s a tough league down there but I got used to playing against men and learning how to back myself. I knew I needed to get harder so I did what I had to do at the time and when it was my turn to go I had to go.

At one stage I even had to play in the ruck and the guy I was against was massive, big legs, tall and I’m thinking I’ll just get up early and jump over the top of him but I realised he had stuck his knee out first and almost caved in my chest!

So when I went again I sort of baulked him and got him thinking I’d go up, but I stayed down and he tapped it straight to my chest and I kicked it out of the centre and that was it in the ruck for me that year.

In another game I had to kick it and keep running because two of them were trying to take me out.

Playing there helped me with my ball sense and where team-mates were and quick hands and feet, that was the plan down there, and it helped me to get drafted. I had to be on my toes all the time, not get too flat-footed.

It gave me confidence. And in a similar way,  I got a lot of confidence out of our last pre-season game against St Kilda, playing on the wing and just running and carrying the ball. And  kicking the three goals, which I know I can do - it is just about not putting too much pressure on myself. I’m not thinking, ‘don’t miss this’, I just go out and kick the ball. That’s what I did against St Kilda and I enjoyed myself out there.

Let’s hope everyone at the Swans can enjoy the season!