Swans forward Trent Dennis-Lane wants to be known for more than just his goal-kicking.

The small forward, known best as ‘TDL’, has contributed six goals in four games this season, but said his focus is now on developing his all-round game to cement a place in the Swans’ senior side.

“What I need to be seen to do is buzz around in the forward line, and be really urgent and desperate to make tackles or get a hand in there or chase the opposition down,” Dennis-Lane told sydneyswans.com.au.

“Things like that will obviously get me into the game if I’m not getting the ball and kicking the goals.

“There will obviously be games where I don’t kick any goals, but I want it to be the case that if the coaches look at the tape they’ll be able to see that I’ve had five-plus tackles, and applied pressure and created goals for the team.

“If you’re able to do that, it makes it hard to leave you out.”

The 23-year-old has already exceeded the number of senior games he played in 2011, after only managing three games last season.

Dennis-Lane said it has been his attention to detail and ability to take criticism that has allowed him to develop in 2012.

“Last year I wasn’t playing and what I found is it is all about listening to what the coaches are saying,” he said

“You have to take that on board and put it into practice because if you’re working on what the coaches want you to be working on, they see the evidence in the way you play, and it puts you in good stead to get a senior game.”

Dennis-Lane’s relationship with mentor and team mate Jarred Moore has also played a leading role in his improvement.

The Swans’ number 8 said Moore’s regular advice and assistance has made him more accountable for his game.

“Jarred Moore is my personal mentor and we chat formally and informally just about every day,” he said.

“We talk about how my pressure went on the weekend, we’ll have a chat about training and how we thought I trained.

“He’s been a great help and we sit down every month or so a re-assess some focus points and things like that.”

Dennis-Lane added that the pair even have a weekly wager on their individual performances.

“We also have a competition every week to see who can get the most one per centers, where the loser buys the other bloke lunch once a week depending on who wins,” he said.

“I’ve been on top most of this year but I think he got me on the weekend…just.”

Looking ahead to this weekend’s clash with the second-placed Bombers at Etihad Stadium, Dennis-Lane said he doesn’t believe the Swans have a Melbourne ‘hoodoo’ despite losing their previous two matches in Melbourne this season to Richmond and St Kilda.

He said the Swans’ loses were more to do with consistency rather than where the matches were played.

“I don’t believe in (team hoodoos) or that sort of stuff,” Dennis-Lane said.

“It’s just a little bit of inconsistencies with our effort.

“We’ve been up and down a little bit in the last month, but when we do get it right we’re pretty hard to stop.

“I know it sounds pretty cliché, but if we play the way we want to play with our pressure and hard ball gets and contested footy then we end up putting the score on the board, and then the majority of the time we win the game.”