The 29-year-old, in his ninth AFL season, produced his best year to date, averaging over 20 possessions and six tackles per game, which saw him rewarded with the Most Improved Award at last week’s Sydney Swans Club Champion.
The tenacious midfielder, who notched up his 100th Swans game in the 2014 Grand Final, said he was proud, and a little bit surprised, to be honoured with the award.
“I was genuinely shocked,” McGlynn told SwansTV backstage.
“I thought I was just receiving an award for playing 100 games for the club, but it’s an absolute honour and privilege to represent this football club.
“To take my game to a new level this year and to be recognised for it is something I’m very, very proud of.”
In previous years, the Most Improved Player nod has been awarded to up-and-coming young talent, including most recently Luke Parker in 2013 and Lewis Jetta in 2012.
While he was stunned to receive the award a year shy of his 30th birthday, McGlynn said he had worked extremely hard in 2014 to take his game to the next level.
“I guess the older you get you obviously learn more about your body and your game,” he said.
“I had put things in place over the summer to improve my game and I’m very proud of myself that I could take that step, and I’ll look to improve next year as well.”
McGlynn admitted last year’s preliminary final defeat to Fremantle, and a pre-season challenge from the club’s coaching staff, spurred him on to improve in the 2014 pre-season.
“Obviously falling short in 2013 and not making it after the prelim, I knew if I wanted my chance to play in a Grand Final I’d have to change the way I go about it and improve my game,” he said.
“I’ve been here for five years now and probably plateaued for the first couple of years after my first initial season here, and I wasn’t happy with that and didn’t want to accept that.
“The coaches challenged me in terms of pushing myself through the pre-season, which I generally just coasted through and got to round one, so I changed things and learnt a lot from last summer and I’ll continue to apply that next year.
“I’m grateful that the coaches have had the faith in me to play and back me in.”
After producing a stellar season, McGlynn is eyeing another big pre-season ahead of the 2015 season, and has thrown down the challenge to this younger team mates to up their game as well.
“There is definitely more improvement to come,” he said.
“I don’t feel 29, or 30 next year, so I don’t feel that old.
“This game does catch up with you pretty quickly, so I’ll continue to improve and I’ll let the young boys try and catch me.”
