Forward Mitch Morton is striving to impress in the Swans reserves in order to put his name up for senior consideration.

Morton joined the club at the end of last year with the aim of making an impact and has kicked 21 goals over the past three rounds of the NEAFL, but knows he must keep working to break through for his first senior Swans game.

“I think I’ve been working hard and have at times got reward for that and I think it’s always difficult to be in the best 22 at any AFL club, let alone a top side like the Swans,” Morton told sydneyswans.com.au.

“I think we have five or six players, which I believe I’m in, who have been playing reserves that could play seniors and could play a very important role.

“I just have to wait for my opportunity and continue to work hard.”

Morton is using his game time in the reserves to work on becoming the best player he can be and believes he has made significant improvements following on from his form in this season’s NAB Cup competition.

“I don’t get down about the fact that I’m not in the side at the moment, I’ve just been trying to focus on things I can control to get in there,” he said.

“I feel like I’ve been making improvements in those areas.

“Offensively I think in the NAB Cup I wasn’t at my best. I wasn’t working as hard and I don’t think I was necessarily grinding hard enough to beat my man.

“Especially in the last month, I’ve been working harder than my opposition, but offensively and defensively I think I have areas I need to improve on.”

The 25-year-old said he has confidence in the systems at the Sydney Swans and is hopeful of taking his chance when an opportunity arises.

“There’s been times in my career where I’ve felt I was doing enough to be playing senior football but wasn’t getting picked, but I’m 100 per cent confident that in the system of this club, that when I’m doing enough to get picked, I’ll get picked,” he said.

“It’s a fair system, so I’m not getting upset. It just means I’m not doing enough to play, so I just work harder and harder.”

Morton, who played 71 games with West Coast and Richmond, admits that he can often be his harshest critic when it comes to reviewing his form, but said he understands that he shouldn’t be so hard on himself.

“Generally if you think I’ve done something wrong, then I think I’ve done it wrong more than you think I’ve done it wrong,” he said.

“I know I need to find ways to not be as harsh on myself, and try and find positives in my game, which is sometimes hard.

“There is no point getting flat about it otherwise you’ll go backwards.”

Morton said his dad, former Claremont star Noel Morton, has played a key role in keeping him positive and on track in his eighth season in the AFL.

“That’s something my dad, who has been great this year, says to me all the time,” he said.

“He says to me ‘you’re not playing this week, so you’ve got to work harder’.

“If he hears any hint of an excuse or any hint of me being down, he just reminds me that I’ve got to work harder, it’s as simple as that.”