ASK ANY of the Sydney Swans' big men how their pre-season has gone and they'll tell you it's been their toughest yet.

Invariably, they bring up the names of the club's elite runners - Ed Barlow, Nathan Gordon, Ryan O'Keefe, Dan Hannebery and Matt O'Dwyer - as those who have weathered the storm the best.

But O'Dwyer said the gruelling running program had been just as taxing on those with a knack for grinding out the miles.

"It's been really tough," he said.

"It's nine weeks for the young blokes and seven weeks for the older blokes, but we've had a real emphasis on the running side of things so far and everyone's really fit. It's been a real rough pre-season so far."

O'Dwyer, 21, said endless circuits of Lakeside Oval and Centennial Park hadn't bothered him, but it was a different story when the fitness staff decided to take the squad out of its comfort zone.

"It's not so much the running and endurance work that I'm worried about. It's the times when we do the hills and the sand dunes that really get you," he said.

"It was a really hot day when were down at Kurnell but it's always going to be tough when you're running up sand dunes."

After playing the last four games of 2009 to take his career tally to six, O'Dwyer said he had attacked the pre-season with a new enthusiasm.

"I played the last four games and it was really good to finish off the year on a good note," he said.

"It gives me plenty of confidence coming into 2010. I don't think my confidence was that high this time last year."

That was evident in his efforts at the club's final training session for 2009, when he featured strongly playing as a loose midfielder in an hour-long practice match.

"I haven't missed a session yet and I'm going to go into the practice matches with some real confidence," he said.

"It was great to see all the boys running around and everyone looks like they're in good nick.

"It's mainly all the guys who have been here for at least a couple of years who are out on the track, which is a good sign."