It’s typical of the very high standards Daniel Hannebery sets for himself, but the Sydney midfielder genuinely believes he let his AFL team down last September.
Hannebery dislocated his shoulder in the Swans’ elimination final against St Kilda, but convinced the club’s medical team he should play in the following semi-final against Hawthorn.
The 2010 Rising Star’s shoulder – the same one he dislocated in his second season at the club – popped out again in the second quarter against the Hawks and he was subbed off.
The Swans staged a fightback, but fell 36 points short and were eliminated from the premiership race.
“I don’t think about that game too much really. I just brush past that one,” said Hannebery, who vowed to make amends in Saturday’s qualifying final against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium.
“I popped my shoulder out a week earlier and went into that game with one shoulder.
“In the back of my mind I was hoping I’d be right, but subconsciously I knew I wasn’t 100 per cent right.”
The Swans wouldn’t have played Hannebery had they harboured concerns about whether his shoulder would make it through the match.
But the 21-year-old still feels compunction.
“Even though I did have an injury, I was disappointed with the Hawthorn game,” he said.
“I felt I let a few guys down by not being able to fill my role for the whole game and play the way I wanted to play.
“It does give you a bit of fire in the belly to want to give back this finals series.”
Hannebery looms as a key figure on the weekend, when two of the league’s best contested-ball sides meet in Adelaide.
Swans coach John Longmire said on Tuesday the midfield battle will determine the result, so Crows Brownlow Medal contender Patrick Dangerfield looms as an obvious match winner.
Dangerfield went head to head with Josh Kennedy in the two sides’ only meeting this year, tallying 30 disposals in the Swans’ first loss for the season in round six.
“He’s a super player … he can play inside and outside and he’s so powerful,” Hannebery said.
“Whoever is on him is going to need some help from other guys and if we shut him down, it goes a long way towards winning the game.”