Sydney are contemplating putting a minder on Collingwood's in-from midfielder Jordan De Goey in what looms as one of the most important match-ups in their AFL preliminary final at the SCG on Saturday.
De Goey has lit up the finals series with an average of 25 disposals, seven clearances and 10 score involvements a game, after missing the round 22 match between the eventual preliminary finalists due to a hip flexor injury.
The Swans won that contest by 27 points, with on-ballers Callum Mills, Luke Parker and James Rowbottom among the best afield, but the Magpies are a different prospect with De Goey back in the team.
"Clearly he poses a threat, he's a very good player in great form, so we look at that," Swans coach John Longmire told reporters on Tuesday.
"We know what De Goey's strengths are and he's in great form.
"But usually it's about that collective midfield group and making sure that we get our two-way play that we really like to play in line and in good nick for Saturday.
"No matter who we play on him, we like to play two-way footy."
The Swans have a healthy list to choose from with Oliver Florent recovering from an ankle sprain sustained late in the qualifying final triumph over Melbourne, and with no fresh concerns.
This has allowed them to have several heavy training sessions since that victory, and leaves Longmire confident they won't suffer any side effects from playing only one match in 27 days when they face Collingwood.
With the pre-finals bye returning this season after a year's absence, the Swans coach was reading little into the fact that in the period in which the break was first in place - 2016-2020 - only four of the 10 qualifying final winners progressed to the grand final.
"It's always that balancing act between making sure that your players don't get injured versus a really tough session," Longmire said.
"We wanted to have a good session and so that's what we did on Saturday. The players were able to have a good blowout, pulled up well from it, so that's all we can do.
"We felt like the weekend session was an important one."
Star forward Lance Franklin has benefited from having continuity in training and playing matches to return to fitness over the past 18 months, but was unusually quiet against Melbourne.
Franklin was held scoreless for the first time in 26 finals appearances in the win over the Demons, but was in fine form with three goals against the Magpies in round 22.
"He's been training hard, he had a really good session here on Saturday, a hard session. He really set himself for that," Longmire said.
"He knows he'll have a wonderful opponent again this week, so it doesn't get any easier but that's what this time of the year is about.
"He's a competitor, he prepares himself very well and he'll do it again this week."
