The entire playing list and coaching staff are in the town on the NSW north coast for a four-day trip that includes two training sessions, an intraclub match, a junior clinic and a Chamber of Commerce breakfast.

 

It is viewed as an important step in the club's preparations for 2014.

 

"It's just a good opportunity to get away with the group and train for a few days," midfielder Dan Hannebery said upon arrival at Coffs Harbour Airport.

 

"We really liked it when we've come up here before, it's kick-started our start of the NAB Cup and round one. It's a critical part of the pre-season for us.

 

"It's also really good to spend some time with the new recruits and the guys we've drafted.

 

"We're looking forward to bonding as a team, which is what the camp is about as well."

 

As well as integrating some new talent into the group, the Swans are also hopeful of getting some old faces back into the line-up.

 

A group that includes Adam Goodes, Kurt Tippett, Lewis Roberts-Thomson and Alex Johnson is yet to take part in full training due to injury.

 

A spate of injuries curtailed the Swans' premiership defence last season, which ended in a preliminary final loss to Fremantle in Perth.

 

That result still burns, but Hannebery knows his side needs to improve again if it is to remain in the hunt for the all-important top four.

 

"I'm sure if we'd had a full-strength list it might've helped us progress in the finals, who knows?" he said.

 

"But there's no point looking back, everyone's just looking forward to making sure they're right to go for this season.

 

"It was disappointing, we reviewed it and we know we need to come back and raise the bar again this pre-season and try to get it better.

 

"If you don't, you go backwards, so we're looking forward to getting better and improving a few areas in our game."

 

A NAB Rising Star winner back in 2010, Hannebery took his game to a new level last season, leading the Swans in the Brownlow Medal count with 21 votes and earning a first All Australian nod.

 

Still just 22, Hannebery expects to spend more time as an inside midfielder this year and has also had to learn to deal with being tagged.

 

"From a personal point of view I've had an OK pre-season," he said.

 

"I'm just looking forward to getting into games now and getting an indication of how I'm going.

 

"I'm just trying to complete as many sessions as I can and then the natural improvement happens as you get older.

 

"I probably had nine or 10 games last year where I had someone sit on me, which is a new challenge and something many players go through.

 

"We've got a lot of players that have gone through that and have a lot of players and coaches that you can speak to during the pre-season to try to help you with that form of the game."