When John Longmire first addressed the players as the new senior coach last November, he had one simple but serious message - that as individuals and as a team, they all had to improve and be better than ever before.

That message was re-iterated last night when Longmire addressed the 2011 Guernsey Presentation Dinner, presented by Volkswagen, at Sydney’s Hilton Hotel.
While it was the 10th time Longmire had been to the Swans Guernsey Presentation evening, it was the first time he had stood on stage as the senior coach.

Longmire thanked Club administrators including Chairman Richard Colless and Chief Executive Andrew Ireland and the Swans board, for making his elevation to the senior job as smooth as possible.

He also thanked former coach Paul Roos. “Not only has he been a fantastic coach, but he’s also been of incredible support as we’ve managed the transition of both coaches and players,’’ Longmire said.

Longmire said he had seen plenty of evidence over the pre-season that the players were working very hard to meet his demand that they improve.

“I can be a hard marker but I have seen evidence of that focus many times during the past five months,’’ he said.

“It was evident when the young players returned for their first time trial of the pre-season, back in November, and several players including Brett Meredith, Dylan McNeil and Lewis Johnston ran personal bests.

“It was evident in our last run before Christmas, when last year’s AFL Rising Star, Dan Hannebery, dug in and ran a PB over 3km before he went home for a well-earned holiday.

“I saw it when Gary Rohan came from nowhere and chased down a Collingwood player in the goal square at Etihad Stadium during the NAB Cup, stopping a certain goal.

“And it is there in Adam Goodes, our dual Brownlow Medallist and co-captain, who has trained harder and smarter than I have seen him train in any of my previous nine seasons at the Club.

 “That’s not to say there aren’t many things we still need to get better at, for it's a constant work in progress, but rest assured we as coaches and players are doing all we can to make sure that happens,’’ Longmire told an audience of more than 500, including all players and coaching staff.

Longmire said the players’ efforts over the pre-season had been fantastic but issued a warning.

“But guess what? There are 16 other clubs out there saying exactly the same thing. We all know the real test is yet to come.  A home and away season that now goes for 24 weeks, in which only the most consistent and resilient will progress.’’

The new coach outlined that it was an era of change at the Club, with 21 new players on the list since the end of the 2009 season. “That is almost half our current list of 45 players and we believe it has created a sense of renewal and rejuvenation,’’ Longmire said.

“As the season approaches, every AFL coach has grand hopes for the year ahead. But all I can promise is that we will continue to focus firmly on developing our next generation of Swans players, and improving those who have already been fantastic contributors.’’

He said the young players had fantastic role models at the Club.

“What better way is there for Luke Parker to learn than to see Jude Bolton going after a contested ball, then get up, dust himself off and hand the ball back to the umpire,’’ he said.

“Or Alex Johnson and Ben Haren training alongside Ryan O’Keefe, and seeing how hard he pushes himself even after playing over 200 games.

“Or Jed Lamb understanding what a 2 way midfielder looks like, when he sees Kieren Jack or Ben McGlynn run 80 metres at training to chase someone down from behind,’’ Longmire said.

Each of the line coaches presented jumpers to players, and past greats of the Club, John Rantall and Bobby Skilton handed out guernseys to the new recruits.

Chief executive Andrew Ireland welcomed the Club’s corporate partners, in particular QBE, Citi and Volkswagen, and welcomed players and their families.

He also announced that at the second Swans Hall of Fame function, being held in Sydney on April 30, the Club would designate Swans Heritage listed objects or events that are significant, as well as inducting players.