A ROSY on-field future and a desire to repaythe faith shown in him by the Kangaroos over the past two years has promptedAndrew Swallow to sign a new deal that will keep him at Arden St until at leastthe end of 2009.
The tenacious midfielder, who has played 37games for the Roos since being taken with selection 43 in the 2005 AFL Draft,said he didn't give any serious any thought to returning home to his nativeWestern Australia when negotiations for this contract began.
"I didn't really ever think aboutgoing home," Swallow said.
"I was very keen to repay the faiththe club has shown in drafting me and giving me the opportunity to play somesenior games straight away.
"I'm very happy with the club and thecoaches and I'm really happy with the way all the young guys seem to be comingthrough so it was pretty easy to commit for another two years."
The 20-year-old's signing will put to bedsuggestions he was unhappy with Dean Laidley's decision to nominate him (as wellas David Hale and Hamish McIntosh) as one of three players he was disappointedwith after the Roos' preliminary loss to Port Adelaide.
In fact, rather than sitting back and'sooking about it', Swallow says he saw the comments as constructive criticismas the club prepares to embark on another big pre-season.
"I took it on board but it wasn't abig deal, really.
"I think it was just about making surewe're not satisfied with where we're at and that we're continually striving toget better.
"It was a bit of a nudge intopre-season so that we're able to contribute a lot more next year.
"He's spoken to everyone privatelyafter the game and after the year and his main message to me was to not besatisfied and to really push myself to be in the elite runners at theclub."
Swallow said that while that defeat by PortAdelaide and the other big loss to Geelong over the three weeks of the finals hasundoubtedly taken some of the gloss of the Kangaroos' season, he is certain theexperience of playing in front of 70,000 plus crowds will hold the club's younglist in good stead.
"The finals were obviouslydisappointing but it was a great experience playing in front of those crowdsand in that sort of atmosphere.
"When you are younger you dream ofplaying in front of those sorts of crowds at the MCG and hearing the roar ofthe crowd is something I'll never forget.
"I know a lot of people use losses astheir motivation over the summer but what will drive me personally is theHawthorn win.
"Winning the final was the bestfeeling you can have as a footballer and knowing we can produce that on the bigstage should give us the confidence to go further over the next few years,considering how young our group is.
"That should really drive everyoneover the pre-season."
Pre-season training isn't the only thingthat awaits Swallow over the summer, with plans to marry his sweetheart from Perth, Elise Rogan, setdown for December.
The impending nuptials and honeymoon meanhe will miss 'one or two sessions' of pre-season training, however he is keento allay fears that he may not be at his peak when he returns for training inthe New Year.
"I'm really looking forward to thewedding and the honeymoon In Thailandbut I'm also actually looking forward to pre-season.
"I'll have to make sure I go for a fewruns when I'm away because I want to be in the best possible shape when I getback.
"Everyone is keen to give ourselvesthe best opportunity over the next five years to get into the finals as oftenas we can and that starts with next year.
"You do that and you never know whatmight happen from there."
