IN-FORM Sydney Swans midfielder Dan Hannebery is confident he has conquered the shoulder problems that were blighting his young career.

Hannebery was a runaway winner of the 2010 NAB AFL Rising Star award, polling maximum votes in a field that included Tom Scully, Tom Rockliff and Jack Trengove, and looked set to join the elite midfielders in the competition.

But during that 2010 season, Hannebery dislocated his shoulder for the first time, ultimately requiring surgery.

Following a quiet start to 2011, having missed some of the pre-season, he built his form nicely before dislocating a shoulder again in the first week of the finals against St Kilda.

He recovered to start the semi-final against Hawthorn the following week, but sure enough, he suffered yet another dislocation in the third quarter of the Swans' loss, and alarm bells were ringing.

It was hoped a reconstruction late last year would fix the problem and, so far, that has proven the case, with the 21-year-old playing every game for the ladder-leading Swans.

"The shoulder came out in unfortunate instances and since then I've been pretty lucky," Hannebery told reporters in Sydney on Wednesday.

"They say [my shoulders] are stronger now after those operations. I kept working on my strength and so far they've been good.

"You lose two pre-seasons of strength work and I'm still playing catch-up with that stuff, but so far so good. Hopefully they can stay strong for years to come."

Averaging just under 24 possessions and four tackles per game, Hannebery is a key cog in a midfield that has emerged as one of the best in the AFL this season.

He took his game to a new level in the Swans' win over West Coast last Sunday, producing a career-high 42 disposals.

Hannebery said he had no idea he had picked up that many touches, aware only that the engine room needed to lift after the Eagles kicked the game's first three goals.

"Early in the game we were getting smashed and a few of us realised that we need to make an impact on the game," he said.

"They were beating us in the clinches, but in the second quarter we started getting on top a little bit and it flowed from there.

"I must've had a few one-twos."

His coach John Longmire was asked this week if Hannebery had now joined the ranks of the AFL's elite midfielders, and responded by saying consistency was the midfielder's final obstacle to reaching those heights.

Longmire used the example of Lenny Hayes, whose Saints take on the Swans this Sunday at the SCG.

"I think he's got a little while to go," Longmire said of Hannebery.

"I think you have to put a few years together before you start calling yourself one of the elite midfielders.

"I think you have to stack year on year on year on year.

"When I look at Lenny Hayes, he's an elite midfielder. (Hannebery's) got a while to go, but he's heading in the right direction.

"He's one of the hardest runners I've seen."

James Dampney covers Sydney AFL news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_JD