The Border product, who was delisted by Sydney this week, will target a top-level comeback via South Australia if he is not picked up by an AFL club in the coming weeks.

McNeil, 21, yesterday ruled out playing for home club Lavington in the Ovens and Murray next season.

“Obviously the trading period is on at the moment and there are the drafts coming up and hopefully I can get back into the AFL system that way,” McNeil said yesterday.

“That’s the plan.

 “If not then I’ll play in the SANFL and try to do it that way.

“I want to get back into the ­system as quick as possible.”

McNeil, picked up by the Swans in the 2010 rookie draft after a stellar junior career, said he was unsure whether he’d play for the Panthers in the future.

“Not for at least a couple of years,” he said.

“I’ll just have to see how everything goes.

“It’s definitely my home club, though.

“If I ever did come back to play, it would be there.”

McNeil is set to meet with a ­handful of SANFL clubs before the end of the month and is optimistic about making a return to the top level.

“I’ll try to get through the back door as a mature-aged recruit,” he said.

“There are more spots opening up every year.”

The diminutive midfielder said that he had learnt plenty ­during his three years with the AFL premiers.

“The main thing is just the hard work,” McNeil said.

“I’ve seen what the elite midfielders have to do.

“A lot of us younger and reserves guys took it right up to the senior players at training and sometimes beat them so you know what it takes and you know that you can do it.”

McNeil, a former Murray Bushrangers captain and best-and-fairest winner, skippered NSW-ACT Rams at the under-18 national championships in 2009.

He was All Australian that year and won the Hunter Harrison Medal for the best-and-fairest player in division 2 at the championships.

He is yet to play a senior AFL match.