Sydney recruit Dan Menzel has been handed a club debut and golden chance to prove a point against Geelong, the AFL team who delisted him last year.
Menzel underwent off-season groin surgery after joining the Swans last year, having left the Cats after overcoming four knee reconstructions in a 73-game career.
The 27-year-old is now fully fit, with coach John Longmire ready to unleash him in Geelong on Saturday.
"Regardless of who he was playing this weekend (he would have been picked)," Longmire said.
"He's been playing in our reserves for a few weeks ... his form last week , especially in the second half, was good."
Former captain Jarrad McVeigh will return from a quad injury this weekend, with Jackson Thurlow and Josh Kennedy (knee) dropping out of the team that went close to beating second-placed Collingwood last Friday.
Menzel's delayed start to the season hasn't stopped him having a major influence on young teammates, especially fellow forward Nick Blakey.
The pair have regularly studied footage of Blakey plus gun forwards from other teams, such as Collingwood's Jordan De Goey, to help the 19-year-old improve in his maiden season.
"Menz has taught me heaps on my leading patterns, protecting the drop zone and all the stuff he's really good at," Blakey told reporters on Thursday.
"We always go through my vision ... I go through all my stuff with (Swans assistant coach) Steve Johnson and then it's good to also go through it with Menz.
"He's still playing and sees the game really well.
"We also look at other good forwards ... their leading patterns and other things."
Blakey noted the Swans, seeking to record arguably the upset of the season by defeating the ladder-leading flag favourites in Geelong, would seek the advice of Menzel and Thurlow about their former teammates.
Geelong's stingy defence has been a strong suit in a 9-1 start to the season, during which they've conceded a league-best 9.6 goals per game.
Blakey insisted his team will not be intimidated.
"We all believe our best football is as good as any team. If we play our best, all the boys believe there's not many teams who can come with us," he said.
"We think we are a hard forward line to stop, and pretty dangerous, when we're all up and firing.
"If we get back to our best, make it a real scrap and contested game then we'll be right in the hunt."
