Threatened with a stint in the VFL a couple of weeks ago, Sinclair told kangaroos.com.au the Roos' coach had told the 27-year-old to lift his endeavour – or risk omission from the senior side.
"This year I had a pretty slow start to the year and I wasn't travelling too well," Sinclair said.
"I took a bit of a rocket off the coach a couple of weeks ago and I guess I've tried to respond as best I could.
"He said I had to lift my work rate and my ferocity around the ball. I tend to be a pretty laid-back person and that's probably how I was going about my footy."
Sinclair agreed the discussion with Laidley came as a wake-up call and that he had been trying to increase his effectiveness ever since.
Sinclair has missed only round three this season (as the result of a virus) and in the past two weeks has enjoyed 34 and 29 possession games - up drastically from his average of 17 over his first five games.
"It was most definitely a wake-up call. (Laidley) said if you don't start performing, you might not be in the side. So it was a wake-up call because I was coasting a bit," he said.
"I was just sort of loping through games and not showing enough tenacity around the ball so he just said I needed to lift and I've been trying to sort it out as best I can in tackling and getting a few more clearances around the stoppages."
Sinclair arrived at Arden Street from his prior home of Fremantle via the 2000 National AFL Draft in a trade that saw the Dockers obtain Peter Bell.
Looking back now, as the elite defender works his way through his sixth season in the blue and white, Sinclair said the trade benefited both clubs and that he didn't regret leaving his first AFL club.
"I guess at the time it was best for both parties. I was in my fourth year and I was getting a bit stale and I did want to return home," he said.
"Fremantle was pretty keen on getting Bell and they had to give up to get him and I wanted to go home as well, so I think it worked out well for both parties."
At the age of 27, Sinclair is hardly on the fringe of his career, but the golf and surfing enthusiast admits he is already contemplating life beyond football and aspires to owning his own business.
"I've been thinking about that more as I get older and realise footy can't go on forever," he said.
"I want to have my own business, I'm not sure what yet, but definitely want to work for myself and open something up."
