Sydney’s first round draft pick Dean Towers can’t wait to get another chance to play for the Swans.
The 22-year-old, who was one of seven new faces who played in the Swans’ NAB Cup contests on Sunday afternoon, said his first taste of senior football left him wanting more.
“It was a great buzz and I really enjoyed my time out there and I got a lot out of it,” Towers told SwansTV.
“I learnt a lot and I’m really keen to get another crack and to improve on what I learnt while I was out there.”
While the Swans failed to register a win on the weekend, Towers showed plenty of positive signs as one of the club’s up-and-coming talents.
Towers notched up five kicks and two marks in the Swans’ second game clash with GWS, and also slotted his first goal in AFL competition.
“I dropped a sitter chest mark and then just had to put the afterburners on and got around a bloke and put it through, so it was nice,” Towers said about kicking his first goal.
“It was a bit of a relief and a little bit of a reward, so it was good.”
Reflecting on his first performance at AFL level, Towers said this weekend’s experience had helped him identify areas of his game he needs to improve to play senior football.
“It was definitely quicker and I was blowing pretty hard early but I slowly worked my way into the game and caught up with the pace of it,” he said.
“I think I was getting into the right spots and the right areas, it’s just about getting the right mental frame of mind so when you’re in the right areas you can play your role the right way.
“I think I need to read the cues a bit earlier and then execute what I need to do.”
The midfielder added that he thrived on the opportunity to line up on experienced players from both Carlton and GWS.
“It was just such a good experience to be up against some of the guys who are at the top of their game,” he said.
Towers, who made his NAB Cup debut alongside Tim Membrey, Brandon Jack, Xavier Richards, Dane Rampe, Jake Lloyd and Sam Naismith, said it was a great feeling to take the field alongside some of the club’s other new blood.
While disappointed not to have put a win on the board, Towers said he believed the Swans’ new recruits learnt a lot from Sunday’s tri-series.
“It was a great experience to be out there and to share the moment with a few other boys who were playing in their first NAB Cup,” Towers said.
“I think we’ve all got room for improvement and I think we’ll all take a lot out of this game and there will be a lot of improvement to come.”