Improving on 2011 will be a hard act for Ryan O’Keefe to follow.

The experienced campaigner finished last season as the club’s leading possession-getter, highest goalkicker in the finals, and ended the season in the Swans top three for tackles, clearances, contested possessions and inside 50s.

With another season fast approaching, the soon-to-be 31-year old believes both he and the team still have much to improve on from last season.

“I’m really looking forward to the season and just improving and doing better than we did last year,” O’Keefe told SwansTV this afternoon.

“I think we showed a lot of potential (last year), but potential’s one of those things you don’t want to waste.

“Seeing all the young guys improve and get better, and the hunger they have to be successful, is very exciting.”

With another influx of players coming into the club via the draft, and a few that are not so young arriving through trades, O’Keefe said it was up to rest of the playing group to help these players find their feet and make sure they enjoy their football.

“We’ve got a few new players which is what happens in footy, they’ve fit in really well and I think they’re enjoying their time in Sydney,” he said.

“It’s early days, so hopefully they continue to enjoy it and it’s up to the rest of us to make sure they get the best out of their footy while they’re here.

“Tommy Walsh, the big Irishman is training well, and Mitch (Morton) and Tony Armstrong are (also) doing really well.”

The Swans are currently fine-tuning their game plan on the training track with just over a month to go until the first series of NAB Cup games against St Kilda and Geelong. O’Keefe, a veteran of 13 pre-seasons, knows now is the time to be switched on and achieving the goals set at the beginning of pre-season.

“I think you have to go into each pre-season with a plan and a few goals to achieve,” O’Keefe said. “That’s how I’ve attacked all my pre-seasons.”

“Training’s been really good and we’re starting to really focus on game stuff and getting really specific about how we want to play.

“The games are coming pretty quickly and every session’s really critical. We can’t afford to waste any.”