When Swans utility Dean Towers runs out for Sydney’s clash with West Coast on Sunday, it will come as a reminder that good things come to those who wait – and put in the hard work.

The 27-year-old will notch up 50 AFL games when the Swans meet the Eagles at Optus Stadium in Perth, but his road to a half-century has been long.

The club secured Towers as a first-round selection in the 2012 National Draft and he didn’t make his senior debut until 2014 when Sydney met Carlton in Round 17.

He managed six games in 2014 and 11 in 2015 as he shifted between senior football and the NEAFL.

He then made 13 appearances in 2016 and strung together nine games on the trot in the second half of the season but missed Round 23 and the entire finals series.

Towers said he had to grit his teeth in a push to become an AFL regular.

“There were a few highs and a few lows but my goal early on was to just show improvement and keep working to get that next contract,” Towers said.

“Eventually when the opportunities did come it was a big learning curve with the step up into the AFL. I’m just glad I was eventually able to build some consistency around my game in the seniors and work to get a consistent spot.”

He signed a two-year contract extension at the completion of season 2016 and made a career-high 19 appearances in 2017.

He didn’t miss a game after being recalled from the NEAFL in Round 7 and came to the fore in Round 16 when he recorded two goals and 21 disposals against the Gold Coast Suns.

Coach John Longmire says Towers’ versatility is his biggest asset.

"He’s been fantastic as far as playing a number of roles for us,” Longmire said.

“He’s been able to play half-back, he’s played half-forward, he’s played key forward, he played ruck for us last year at various times. He’s just got fantastic athleticism which gives him the flexibility to play a number of roles.”

Towers was 16-years-old when he was introduced to AFL football at Otway Districts, a small country club 179 kilometres south-west of Melbourne.

He was still running around for Otway aged 18 as hundreds of future stars were signing AFL deals at the Draft.

But when his time came the Victorian turned heads.

At 22-years-of-age he set a new Draft Combine record in the standing vertical jump in 2012 to surpass a mark which had stood since 1997.

Towers hailed from former VFL club the North Ballarat Roosters when he signed with the Swans and he hasn’t looked back since.

“I was extremely grateful as most guys would be to get drafted to a club,” Towers said.

“I was rapt to come up here. The Swans had just won a premiership and I knew I was coming to a club with a great culture and the pathway was put out in front of me as to what I needed to do.”

Longmire says the fight Towers has shown has been pivotal to his progress.

“You’ve got to have an enormous amount of resilience in this game, whether you’re a player or coach or however involved,” Longmire said.

“You’ve got to be able to get through the ups and downs of an AFL season and an AFL career and he’s been able to work through patches in his career where he’s been playing reserves and stick it out. To his credit he’s kept improving every year and that’s what we ask of all of our players. 

“He started the game a bit later than others so he’s a bit more experienced age-wise but not game-wise, so 50 games are a great achievement for him.”