It's a make-or-break year for Sydney Swans midfielder Matt O’Dwyer. In his fourth season at the Club, and with six senior games under his belt, O'Dwyer is focused on making an early impact on the AFL Canberra competition, and cementing a permanent spot in the senior team before the end of the season.

Following a strong end to the 2009 season, in which he played the final four senior games of the year, O’Dwyer was rewarded with a one year contract. He is now hoping he can extend his time at the Club with a breakthrough season.
 
“It’s probably the biggest year of my career so far. Four years is the average timeframe that players get in the AFL, it’s kind of a make or break year for me. Hopefully I finish off the season well and have a spot in the side for 2011,” O’Dwyer said.

With a strong team and a short injury list, even senior coach Paul Roos admits there are a number of Swans playing in the reserves side who would "walk into the senior team tomorrow". O’Dwyer and several of his teammates, including Ted Richards, Paul Bevan, Ed Barlow and Nick Smith, are among those battling for senior selection.

“There are a few guys that are playing through the midfield that play similar sorts of roles to me but I’m trying to push into the team.

Everyone’s playing so well at the moment, the team’s winning so it’s kind of hard to try and get a spot.

“It certainly is disappointing not playing in the seniors team and playing reserves, but it’s just a matter of being consistent and not letting playing in the reserves get to you, and just continuing to play well each week,” he said.

O’Dwyer credits his early season form to an impressive pre-season, in which he didn’t miss a single session. His hard work paid off - he was selected in the side that played St Kilda in the first pre-season game, and was named in the Swans’ best.

That performance saw O’Dwyer grow in confidence against one of the best sides in the competition.

“I felt really comfortable playing against St Kilda, it was just a real confidence builder knowing that I can play at that level now,” he said.

O’Dwyer has also been helped along the way by his mentors, Rhyce Shaw and Nick Malceski, who are telling him to “be confident and back himself”.

“I learn a lot from those two guys, we go through my tape each week and let me know what I need to improve on and what I’m doing well. They’ve definitely been a big help during my pre-season and the start of the season,” he said.

Like their senior counterparts, the Swans Reserves have had a strong start to 2010, and O’Dwyer has been one of the standouts for the side. They will be looking for their third win in a row this weekend when they take on last year’s grand finalists, Ainslie. 

Following wins against Queanbeyan last weekend and reigning premiers Belconnen in round one, O’Dwyer is confident the reserves can continue their good form.

“Playing the team that won the grand final and beating them, that was good. We had a lot of injuries last year but having mainly Swans players on the bench (this year), it’s a lot easier for the guys that are playing to get a lot of rotations.

“(Ainslie) are a very good team. They have a crack and it’s always a very good game against them, so hopefully we get over the line,” O’Dwyer said.

The Swans Reserves take on Ainslie at 10.45am on Saturday in the curtain-raiser for the Sydney Swans v West Coast Eagles game at the SCG (2pm).

HMAS Sydney II Commemorative Football Game
Sydney Swans v West Coast Eagles
Saturday 24 April, 2010, SCG, 2:10pm
Tickets from Ticketek