Swans veteran Nick Davis says he will become a better man on and off the field after learning he is about to become a father.

Davis, who suffered a season-ending knee injury playing for the Swans reserves last weekend, and partner Anna Watson are expecting a late Christmas present.

"The baby is due on Boxing Day, so it will make for a busy Christmas," Davis told The Sun-Herald. "It was very exciting [finding out Watson was pregnant], it happened at a time when I was struggling a little bit.

"It gave me a boost and reminded me I'm not doing it for myself any more, I've got some responsibilities coming up in life.

"It's always been a little problem of mine, off-field [behaviour], but obviously I'll have a lot of responsibilities off-field and it won't be a problem anymore, which is good.

"It's another thing that will keep me active and driven through my rehab to come back better than before."

The 28-year-old is adamant the off-field issues that have plagued his career are finally behind him. But the latest injury setback is a massive blow. In the absence of key forwards Barry Hall and Amon Buchanan, Davis was set to get a call-up for just his fourth top-flight game of the season, against Carlton at Telstra Dome today.

Instead, he will watch from the sidelines after his knee buckled against Canberra. But the support of Watson and her daughter from a previous relationship, Tayla, have helped ease the pain.

"I would have taken the injury harder if I didn't have [Anna] and Tayla to come home to and give some perspective to your life outside football," Davis said.

"I can't mope around the house because it's not fair on her and it's hard to mope around Tayla because she's a kid and we're always doing things.

"That will keep me busy for the next month or two while I'm stuck on the couch."

Davis used to spend a lot of time on the couch. The man who almost single-handedly propelled the Swans into the 2005 grand final with a brilliant display in the semi against Geelong admits his attitude off the paddock wasn't always exemplary. But that is old news. There has been no time to sit around after the Watsons entered his life.

"As a 24- or 25-year-old, when you're not at training you've got a lot of spare time," Davis explained. "In that spare time you can do good things or bad things, but nowadays there's not much spare time.

"When I come home from training I'm busy. It's good, it's something I really enjoy and it will make me a better player when I come back."

He is still making sense of his season so far.

"I'm not sure if I fell into a bit of complacency, but a lot of young guys worked really hard over pre-season and they deserve their spot.

"At my best, physically and mentally, I'm pretty sure there's a spot in the Swans team, and most teams in the AFL, for me.

"It was just a matter of me working hard, and personally I felt I was doing that. I was hoping for a recall but it wasn't to be.

"I can show them in other ways in the next couple of months I still want to be an AFL footballer, that I have the dedication and desire to do that."

One thing the Swans are big on is professionalism. There were times Davis was not, leading to a falling out with some of the club's officials. But the son of former Magpies full-forward Craig Davis learned the hard way what is required to fit into the Swans' culture.

"We've got guys at our club that are 100 per cent committed to football all the time - they live and breath it," Davis said. "Others guys get through the week and produce on game day. The professionalism of AFL has gone to another level and it's about adapting to that.

"Maybe I've take a little bit longer to adapt to certain parts of the week than other people. To some people it may come across that it doesn't mean a lot to me and I don't care, but it is my life and I do care.

"At the start of the year, I wasn't dropped for my conduct off-field or anything like that … it was just a confidence thing. It was nothing to do with any culture stuff, which is different to previous years."

One of Davis's most endearing traits is his honesty. But the St George junior realises not everyone appreciates his candour. When he was axed two seasons ago, he claimed he was a scapegoat for the Swans' poor form. That didn't go down well.

But now the former Magpie has worked out how to express his personality while showing respect. And he has realised that he will always be newsworthy.

"She [Anna] thinks it's funny that I'm not playing and I'm in the paper more than other people in the team," he said. "A lot of people ask, 'why are you always in the paper?' and say I'm like a Willie Mason in the NRL.

"We always attract attention, whether we're playing good, bad or indifferent - or off the field.

"People seem to like the characters that we are and are genuinely interested in what we do.

"A lot of people are accused of being boring sportsmen but we like to keep people entertained.

"I've been a footballer for 10 years and Willie is the same - you can't change the person you are to fit into a regime. We probably wouldn't have lasted as long if we hadn't had fun along the way.

"The bottom line is it's a game. If you're not enjoying what you do in life, you won't be any good at it.

"You've got to find ways of enjoying it and fitting into the team structure and rules. I've been able to balance that over the past few years."

His latest injury setback will prompt further speculation that he has played his last game for Sydney. Whether the Swans honour the rest of his contract remains to be seen, but one thing Davis firmly believes is his career is far from over.

"There's always speculation with me and things seem to get blown way out of proportion," he said.

"I can show the Swans and everyone else I'm dedicated with my rehab and I'm [primed] for a big season, wherever it may be.

"This is something I love doing, playing top-grade football, getting out in front of a big crowd.

"I'll miss that for the rest of the year when the boys play big games and finals.

"That will be something that drives me to come back, to show everyone how much I love that part of the game."