Sydney midfielder Dan Hannebery credits last year’s AFL grand final as the tonic that helped lay the platform for his breakthrough 2013 campaign.

Hannebery has been one of the Swans’ best over the opening eight rounds and is running second overall in the AFL coaches’ player of the year award.

The 2010 Rising Star winner, who copped a hard tag for the first time in his AFL career last Saturday night when Fremantle’s Ryan Crowley was unable to curb his influence, said consistency had been one of his main aims this season.

“I think the grand final is probably something that helped me realise I can get to that sort of level, and try to hold that as a benchmark game,” Hannebery said ahead of his side’s crunch clash with Collingwood at the MCG on Friday night.

“…Throughout the pre-season and the start of the year, I’ve been trying to work on some decision-making and kicking stuff – trying to kick more goals and that sort of thing.

“It (improvement) can happen over time.

“I’ve been working with the coaches on how to make better decisions under pressure. I’m still working on that – I still haven’t gotten it right by any stretch.”

Hannebery has kicked 10 goals, including four against the Dockers, and formed a formidable on-ball brigade alongside Josh Kennedy, Luke Parker and co-captains Kieren Jack and Jarrad McVeigh.

“We’re all working together each week trying to work on different parts of our game,” the 22-year-old said.

The reigning premiers have been patchy this year, dropping games against table-toppers Geelong and Hawthorn.

After giving up a 27-point final-quarter lead in the draw with Fremantle, the pressure is on the Swans to perform against the side that ended the Cats’ seven-game unbeaten start to the season.

“The main thing that was evident (in Collingwood’s win over Geelong) was their pressure was back to their best,” Hannebery said.

“They’ve shown if they can get that right, a lot of things in their game get right. It’s going to be a really tough game and we’ve got to be ready for a high-pressure game.

“Friday night footy at the MCG against Collingwood is a little bit bigger than most games, but we focus on what we can control.

“…We know in the games that we’ve lost this year, we’ve gone away from what works for us, which is four quarters of pressure footy.”