The former South Warrnambool footballer’s season ended on Sunday, when his Port Melbourne side exited the VFL finals series in straight sets after a heartbreaking one-goal loss to Box Hill Hawks.

Dwyer was rated a chance to be picked up in last year’s AFL rookie draft but was overlooked.

This year he has struggled to show recruiters his potential after suffering a knee injury which saw him sidelined for half the season.

He said he had not been approached by any AFL clubs about the prospect of joining them next season, leaving him to believe his dream of making it on the big stage will be difficult to achieve.

“But I suppose then you look at your James Podsiadlys and Michael Barlows who have been able to come into the AFL late and have an impact,” he said.

“I suppose you never know.”

Dwyer predicted he would stay at the Boroughs.

“Just talking to a couple of mates, everyone seems to be sticking around so I probably will too,” he said.

“It was a good effort to finish in the top four again but I suppose to go out in straight sets isn’t very good.

“We’ve always had tight games with (the Hawks) the past couple of times we’ve played.

“We had the same sort of game against them last year (in the finals) and we managed to get through.

“I guess it was their turn to get one back on us.”

Dwyer, who was judged best-on-ground for Port Melbourne in the first semi-final, sustained his knee injury in the season-opener against Gold Coast.

The midfielder’s 13-week stint on the sidelines didn’t allow him to completely regain his desired fitness.

“I probably wasn’t as fit as I was after pre-season but I was getting there eventually,” he said.

“I suppose it didn’t help not having much time to get fully fit.”

He was looking forward to a break from playing football but planned to venture to the Hampden league grand final next weekend to watch South Warrnambool and support his mate, Jarrod Thompson.

Apprentice electrician Dwyer, who has been working in Mortlake for the past seven weeks, said he and Thompson used to live together in Melbourne.