Sydney Swans co-captain Kieren Jack says the team’s 47-point win over Collingwood on Friday night was a much-needed confidence booster for the club.

Following last weekend’s disappointing last quarter fade out against Fremantle, Jack said the Swans’ four-quarter performance against Collingwood at the MCG was an important step forward.

“I think it was certainly the most consistently we’ve played,” Jack said.

“It was a really big boost for our club to put in a four-quarter effort like that on the big stage too.

“We’ve probably had some question marks on us on the big stage and at the MCG and I thought we performed really well across the whole board and I didn’t think we had a poor player or poor group in the side.

“I thought we really controlled the game on Friday night and the leaders stood up and it made a difference.”

The Swans will now focus their attention on this Saturday’s round 10 clash against Essendon, who moved back into the competition’s top four following a 29-point win over Richmond on Saturday night.

The co-captain said the Swans would require a repeat performance of Friday night’s efforts to score a win over the in-form Bombers at the SCG.

“They have been in great form all year,” Jack said about the Bombers.

“It’s going to be a massive game and we’re hoping for a packed SCG and we’ll certainly need it on Saturday afternoon.”

Jack said it would be a battle of the midfields this week, with both the Swans and the Bombers’ mids starting the season in good form.

“They are a side on the up and their midfield is very similar to ours in that they are high transition and they work back and forth, and that’s a real strength of ours and it certainly was on Friday,” he said.

“They are probably similar to us in that they’ve got a great depth in that midfield.

“Their young players like (Dyson) Heppell … are playing some good footy so we need to be aware of all of them.”

The co-captain identified stopping Bombers’ captain and 2012 Brownlow medallist Jobe Watson as one of the Swans’ big challenges this weekend.

“He’s been in ripping form,” Jack said.

“He’s just a really big-bodied midfielder and he’s very similar to a Josh Kennedy in that they are big frames and they can probably play as key position forwards but they are running around in the midfield, so they are tough to mark and tough to handle.

“His inside work is without a doubt one of the best in the competition.”