SYDNEY Swans midfielder Dan Hannebery says he can't wait to put the fruits of his first full-time pre-season into practice against Essendon on Saturday night.

Hannebery managed to play seven games while completing his VCE studies in Melbourne during a remarkable debut season in 2009.

Now, the 19-year-old has emerged bigger, stronger and fitter after a gruelling summer on the track.

Hannebery said he was initially taken aback by the sheer intensity of pre-season training but he soon adjusted.

"Obviously not being up here full-time, you don't get a real feel for how much of a commitment it is. I don't think I really got that until I moved up here," he said.

"Now, I've realised it is a 24/7 thing. It's not about going back to school, playing here and training one or two days a week; it's a full-time, seven days a week commitment.

"I feel now that my body's ready because I've had that introductory year and now I'm ready to go."

Fuelled by his taste of the big time, Hannebery kept his schoolies celebrations to a minimum in order to catch up to his teammates who had already been training for two weeks when he arrived in Sydney.

"I finished my last exam on the Friday, had the family and friends over on the Friday night and came up here on the Sunday morning," he said.

"I was straight into it, which is what I'd planned to do and it's what I was expecting. Rather than going to schoolies and that sort of thing, I wanted to get up here and train and work hard to try and get my spot back in the team."

However, his progress was slowed somewhat after Christmas when he fractured his cheekbone while out with friends in Melbourne.

While Hannebery was able to maintain his running and skill work, he spent more than a month away from contact drills with the main group while the injury healed.

The realisation that his actions away from the club could have such a serious impact on his training was yet another revelation.

"It was a real eye opener for me, just to make sure that you're really careful when you're away from the club," he said.

"It is a 24/7 thing and you've just got to make sure that you really watch what you're doing."

With the arrival of so many new faces at the club, including running players Ben McGlynn, Josh Kennedy and Lewis Jetta, Hannebery acknowledged the considerable challenge to regain his place.

But he said his stint in the seniors had hardened his resolve to return to the top level as soon as possible.

"Just getting a taste of what it's like to play AFL and playing against other teams gave me really good motivation to work hard this pre-season and to know that it's not just going to come easy," he said.

"It's actually going to be a bit harder this year, because there's a bit of expectation now. I know what it's like and I've got to work really hard to try and get my spot.

"But it's not just me; I think everyone in the team feels a bit of pressure to train hard and play well to keep their spot.

"I think it's a really healthy thing for the footy club and the team itself, just because there's a lot of competition."