JARRED Moore says the Sydney Swans’ next generation of leaders needs to step up as the Club looks to return to the finals.

The Swans are a significantly younger group as they head into 2010 after the departure of seven members of the 2005 premiership team - Nic Fosdike, Michael O’Loughlin, Leo Barry, Jared Crouch, Barry Hall, Amon Buchanan and Luke Ablett.

While co-captains Brett Kirk, Craig Bolton and Adam Goodes will lead the way again, Moore said the next tier of experienced players needed to shoulder more of the leadership load.

“We’re still going to add a lot of guys in the draft and when they get to training, we’ll be a pretty young group,” he said.

“It’s going to be especially important for the guys who have been here a few years, like myself and Heath Grundy and Paul Bevan and Lewis Roberts-Thomson to step up.

“Obviously a lot of experience has gone from last year but we’ve regained Tadhg, and Daniel Bradshaw will add a lot, as will the guys who came via the trades.

“There will be a few more fresh faces to get to know when the draftees arrive. It’s an exciting period at the Club, where you get to know everyone and see how hard they work.”

Hard work isn’t something that Moore has shied away from in his time at the club.

While he admits he’s not among the Club’s top endurance runners - “The longer it gets, that’s where I start to struggle a bit more,” he said - the 23-year-old slogged it out during his off-season break in Melbourne.

“I’d drive about 45 minutes to see Nick Smith and Taylor Gilchrist and try to run with those guys,” Moore said.

“It’s a lot easier to run with a couple of other guys, because you tend to push yourself a bit more compared to running on your own.”

Along with setting an example for the Club’s newest recruits, Moore was keen to atone for what he said was an inconsistent 2009 season.

“I really didn’t string together really consistent games like the year before and I found it a bit frustrating that I couldn’t do that. Towards the end of the year, I started to get a few games together before I got injured in round 21,” he recalled.

“I didn’t make the most of my opportunities early and I was down on confidence from there and that affected my game.

“I’ve certainly got to lift and step up as a leader, especially when the new guys come.”