The Sydney Swans coaching staff has a knack of unearthing at least one new midfielder each season to help ease the load on the team's ball-winners.Their ability to do so was one of the key reasons behind the Swans’ premiership success in 2005, and why they came within a whisker of repeating those heroics last season.Luke Ablett, Amon Buchanan, Jarrad McVeigh and Nick Malceski are among those to have taken the step from second stringers to regular starters in the past two years.This season, emerging Swan Tim Schmidt hopes to add his name to the list of onballers Paul Roos can call on when things are getting tough or the engine room simply needs an oil change.Schmidt, 21 next month and entering his fourth season in the red and white, got his chance to impress in the pre-season trial against Collingwood last week.And he will have another chance this weekend when the Swans tackle the Western Bulldogs at Canberra's Manuka Oval in week one of the NAB Cup."I'm not too sure exactly where I'll be yet, but probably in the middle or on a wing," Schmidt said."I'll talk to John (Longmire) or Roosy and find out then, but I daresay it'll be around the midfield, half-forward area."The former South Australian hopes he can build on his two senior matches after making his AFL debut against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium last year."I haven't got my goals for this year down to a tee but I want to put my hand up as a regular senior player, that's what my goal is," Schmidt said."I’d love to play every game from round one to 22, but mostly I just want to play consistent football. So I've just got to do keep doing the right things."A big pre-season was halted earlier this month when tightness in a hamstring caused Schmidt to reduce his training load, but he is confident he will be a fitter, more effective player in 2007.And the man pulling the strings this Saturday – stand-in coach John Longmire – believes Schmidt has what it takes to make the transition from bit player to fully fledged senior star."We're confident that he can," Longmire said. "He's certainly got the ability and it's just a matter of him backing himself to go out there and show us that he can do it.”"He's one that we're looking for to bolster that group and give us some depth in that midfield brigade, because you can never have too many of those sorts of guys."After three years at the club, Schmidt is feeling more comfortable at the top level – as demonstrated by his two AFL matches last year and some superb performances for the Swans reserves side late last year.After previously sharing accommodation with teammates Tadhg Kennelly and Stephen Doyle, Schmidt has moved house this year and feels he now knows what is required to live as an elite-level sportsman."I lived with Tadhg and Doyles, and they were fantastic, so it was a bit sad to move away from them," Schmidt said."But my brother, who had been working in Adelaide, was moving over here in October. I thought it'd be a bit of a change up as well as a chance to show him around, so I've moved in with him and his girlfriend."Living with them also gives me a little bit of a break from footy, which can be good. I know what's required in terms of my eating and cooking for myself and that sort of thing."It's just nice to get away from footy occasionally and be able to let your hair down and relax."