SYDNEY SWANS defender Sean Dempster is looking to improve in the second half of a season he says has so far been "inconsistent".

"Some games I'm having a good week and other games I'm not really turning up to play," he told sydneyswans.com.au.

“So I'm looking at the second half of the season to be a bit better.”

The key to playing well is more than winning a swag of possessions or kicking goals, Dempster says.

"I think a lot of it's got to do with the team-oriented stuff, like making tackles and being right on your man."

Despite his inconsistency, Dempster has added a more attacking element to his game in 2007. He credits this development to Swans defensive coach Peter Berbakov.

"This year, compared to the last couple of years, I have wanted to get the footy,” Dempster said. “In the past, I've concentrated on shutting my man down."

"It's taken me a bit longer than most people to get a lot of confidence playing in the senior side. Peter Berbakov has instilled a lot of confidence in me, telling me to go and get the ball. He's been a great help."

Dempster suffered the first significant injury of his career in round three, an experience he found tougher than he had anticipated.

"It was pretty frustrating. I didn't think it would be too bad, but having to watch the boys go out and play and knowing that you can't physically go out there was very annoying."

He missed three weeks of football, then played in the reserves before returning to the senior squad in round eight. It took him several weeks of senior football to return to good form.

"I was a little bit off, my touch wasn't really there and I was just lacking a little bit in fitness," he said.

The 23-year-old has kicked goals in three of the seven games he has played this season. His long kicks from well outside the 50m have earned him something of a cult following among Swans fans – although Dempster is quick to point out he’s still a defender at heart.

"I feel confident that I can kick from outside 50. If I was inside fifty, I'd probably spray it and it would go out of bounds on the full," he said.