David Schwarz in action at Demons' training. "The Ox" says he is "battling to break a game open this year."

At a cold MCG training yesterday, his teammates shouted out ``Ox'' - his nickname - every time he went near the ball.

By his own admission, Schwarz, the Demons' best and fairest last year, has not had the best of seasons.

``I've been battling to break a game open this year,'' he said. ``I'm just waiting to step up again and be a bit more of a leader and a bit more of a presence on the ground.''

Against Brisbane two weeks ago, Schwarz struggled to make an impression on the game until the last quarter - when a couple of crucial touches broke open the match for the Demons. Last week he gathered 23 possessions but was let down by poor kicking, finishing with five behinds and no goals.

``I've probably been a little inconsistent this year. I've had some OK games but no real standout matches,'' he said yesterday.

``I'd really like to stamp my authority on a couple of matches before the end of the year and really show that the form of last year can be repeated.''

Coach Neale Daniher will need key players like Schwarz to shine against the Western Bulldogs at Colonial on Sunday and is confident his man has turned the corner.

``If he kicked five goals last week and got 23 possessions from centre half-forward you'd be pretty happy ... hopefully he can kick a little straighter this week, but he's now getting plenty of the footy,'' he said.

Schwarz trained with new boots yesterday - something he jokingly suggests may improve his accuracy in front of goal - and says he needs to kick through the ball in front of goal.

``It's a bit like putting I guess. You putt to the hole, you don't go in, but if you put to the back of the hole, you're a chance.

``I was probably just kicking to the goals ... rather than hitting a target past them.''

Schwarz does get not carried away by last season's personal success. In what was a disappointing year for the Demons, he describes his on-field performances - he led the club with 107 marks - as ``the best of a bad bunch''.

The 27-year-old, who was plagued by serious knee injuries early in his career, was more pleased to have played every game last year, a feat he has managed to continue in 2000.

Strong marking, normally a highlight of Schwarz's game, has been uncharacteristically muted this season. During training, his hands were heavily taped as he has been troubled by finger problems this season which have made it difficult in contested situations.

``It's just a matter of getting the right mix I think. Last week I tried a webbing technique on my fingers and it seemed to work a little bit better, so hopefully this week it will kick back into place. If I can have another 10 marks this week it will be great,'' he said.