A more meticulous approach to the pre-season has Sam Reid feeling on top of his game and body ahead of what’s shaping as a more productive season than last.

Reid failed to play an AFL game last year following a wretched run with a persistent Achilles tendon complaint, which began during the Club’s annual intraclub match in February.

He was restricted to only three matches with the NEAFL Swans and, even in those appearances, he failed to run out a game strongly enough to convince the medical staff he was ready for a senior recall.

It was a case of one step forward, two steps back for the 25-year-old who wanted nothing more than to play some part in the Sydney Swans’ glittering season.

By the time the key forward was close to match-ready, time had run out.

“2016 was very frustrating,” Reid said, after completing another strong session at Lakeside Oval.

“I felt like I was only two weeks away (from returning) for about six months of the year. It got old pretty quickly.

“The body is feeling pretty good now and I’ve been able to complete most of the pre-season so far. It has been a lot better than previous years.

“To get through this pre-season injury free so far, touch wood, has been a positive.”

The prospect of being unshackled for the first time in a long time had Reid ready for pre-season day one. The key forward hasn’t missed a beat, completing every session and even extra sessions under the keen eye of the strength and conditioning coaches, to ensure his momentum continues.

Right now Reid’s feeling in career-best shape and has next month’s community series firmly in his sights as a stepping stone towards what’s proven recently as an elusive 99th AFL game.

“The amount of prehab and rehab work I’ve done in the build-up to this pre-season, the number of kilometres I was able to get in the off-season, has surpassed any previous seasons,” Reid said.

“That was the target – get to a stage at the end of the year so I was back to full training and, if the worse was to happen and we had a heap of injuries, I’d be available to play.

“We got to that point and I was able to have a normal off-season, complete all the running, and put myself in good stead for pre-season.

“I take a lot of confidence out of that and I hope that can hold me in good stead right up until the season starts.”