John Longmire will get one up on rival coach and long-time mate Alastair Clarkson as he takes the Swans into their 12^th finals campaign in 14 years on Saturday.

The qualifying final against GWS at the SCG from 3:20pm will be Longmire’s 26^th final at the helm and will see him pull level with former teammate Clarkson in 12^th place among AFL coaches all-time.

And with the Swans guaranteed at least one more final this year and Clarkson’s North Melbourne having missed the finals, Longmire will move into outright 12^th spot when next the Swans play.

The AFL coaching finals list is headed by Collingwood legend Jock McHale, after whom the medal awarded to the AFL premiership coach since 2001 is named. McHale coached 58 finals from 1912-49.

Mick Malthouse (52), Kevin Sheedy (43), ex-Swans coach Tom Hafey (42), Allan Jeans (41), Dick Reynolds (37), David Parkin (36), ex-Swans coach Ron Barassi (33) and Frank Hughes (30) complete the top bracket with Chris Scott, who coached Geelong for the 29^th time in a final on Thursday night.

Longmire is one of only four Swans coaches who have steered the club through more than five finals – and three of them have been in the Sydney era.

The first was Jack Bissett who coached 10 finals from 1933-36, including the 1933 premiership. Then it was Rodney Eade, who coached eight finals from 1996-2002, and Paul Roos, whose time in charge from 2002-10 saw the club break its 72-year premiership drought. He coached 16 finals.

Longmire has coached against no less than 14 different coaches in the finals – Clarkson (4), Ross Lyon (4), Chris Scott (3), Leon Cameron (3), Brad Scott (2), Brenton Sanderson (1), Nathan Buckley (1), Mick Malthouse (1), Don Pyke (1), Luke Beveridge (1), John Worsfold (1), Simon Goodwin (1), Craig McRae (1) and Michael Voss (1).

GWS’ Adam Kingsley will be #15 on Saturday.

Luke Parker has played in all but two of the Longmire finals, having missed the finals campaign of 2015 with a fractured leg. Now 31, Parker will play his 24^th final to join Ryan O’Keefe in equal 4^th spot on the club’s all-time finals list behind Adam Goodes (28), Jarrad McVeigh (28) and Jude Bolton (26).

Only 44 players in AFL history have played more than 24 finals.

Dane Rampe will play his 21^st final to go past Nick Smith (20) and equal Ted Richards (21). They sit one back from Josh Kennedy (22), Kieren Jack (22) and Dan Hannebery (22).

And Isaac Heeney’s 15^th final will see him jump to equal 15^th on the list, behind Heath Grundy (19), Tadhg Kennelly (18), Brett Kirk (18), Michael O’Loughlin (18) and Jake Lloyd, who will play his 18^th final this week.

Leo Barry (17), Nick Malceski (17), Lewis Roberts-Thomson (17) and Vic Belcher (16) complete the top 20, with Heeney to join Jared Crouch, Ben McGlynn and Gary Rohan at 15.