After 10 finals in his first 101 career games, Sydney Swans midfielder Dan Hannebery has become accustomed to being involved on the big stage at this time of the year.

About to embark on a fifth straight finals series, and a qualifying final for the third consecutive year, Hannebery knows what is at stake.

Ahead of the Saturday afternoon’s home qualifying final against Fremantle at ANZ Stadium, the Swans number four spoke of not wanting to take finals for granted when he was a guest on 1116SEN’s Morning Glory program this morning.

“I’ve been lucky enough since I’ve started at the footy club to play a few finals, which not every young player gets to do,” Hannebery said.

“Even this week I’ve been a little bit more anxious and nervous earlier in the week than I am for probably the first 22 rounds of the year.

“I think it’s just because it’s a big game and you’re obviously really excited, but at the same time you know there’s a lot more on the line than there has been throughout the year.”

After missing six successive matches during the regular season with an ankle syndesmosis injury, Hannebery was back to his brilliant, hard-running best in last weekend’s loss to Richmond with 33 possessions, 10 tackles and a goal.

The 23-year-old said his GPS numbers were back in the range he was recording before he went down with the injury in round 13 against Port Adelaide.


“(The GPS figures are) probably about similar to before I got injured,” he said.

“I obviously took a little while to get going again. I think that Port Adelaide game over there (in round 20), it was a good run, but I struggled a little bit to get into the game and since then I’ve hit most of the numbers that I was hitting before I got injured.

“At this stage I’m feeling pretty fit and confident going into a finals campaign that looms to be as brutal as any one we’ve had in the past.”

Hannebery enjoyed great success on Fremantle on-baller Ryan Crowley with 27 disposals and four goals in last year’s round eight match at the SCG, but in the two encounters since the Docker has stood co-captain Kieren Jack.

Whoever Crowley goes to on Saturday, Hannebery said the Swans would adapt accordingly.

“The beauty of our side is he could go to probably four or five players, it’s just a matter of who Ross Lyon and their coaches think is important to shut-down,” Hannebery said.

“I’ve looked into it this week, as have a few of the coaches, and if it does happen (that Crowley plays on me), there’s plans in place that we’ll try and execute.

“As Kieren Jack said earlier in the week … he’s a super player … him and a few other players in Cornes and Macaffer are probably the three best stoppers in the competition, and when you get them it is a real challenge.

“If you do get them, you try and take it head-on and do your best to have an influence on your footy side.”