Having appeared in a number of short films, two episodes of Blue Heelers and a role in telemovie, Little Oberon as a ghost, Sweeney’s acting career also includes a 2004 guest stint in Neighbours as Braydden Tuffnell, an older boy whom Summer Hoyland asked out after a little goading by her friend, Lisa Jeffries only to be laughed at.

In 2007, Sweeney was back at Neighbours, auditioning for the roles of Declan Napier and later, Riley Parker, a role that Producers and Casting Director, Jan Russ as well as the producers felt he better suited. A week and a half later, Sweeney received a phonecall telling him he’d won the role and on August 17th 2007, surfer and trainee Vet, turned journalist Riley Parker debuted on Australian screens. Ironically, whilst the character of Riley was some three years older than himself, Eloise Mignon, who was two years Sweeney’s senior, was playing Riley’s younger sister, Bridget.

Just nine months later, with producers and writers feeling that Riley was difficult to write for and that perhaps he had fulfilled his goals in Erinsborough, Sweeney moved on, but not before hitting the headlines over a controversial storyline involving adopted Riley having a relationship with his auntie, Nicola West.

Later in 2008, Sweeney appeared in a short film entitled A Little Understanding as part of the international film festival 15/15. The film was nominated in the festival’s award ceremony in the categories of Best Production Design, Best Script/Original Story, Best Female Performance, Best Comedy and finally nominated and winning the category of Best Male Performance for Sweeney’s performance.