TRADITIONALLY, first-year AFL players often find it hard to maintain their form as the rigours of the competition take their toll during the latter part of the season.

Young players regularly show tremendous skills early on, but their bodies aren't ready to stand up to the intensity of a full AFL season and they naturally slow down towards the end of a campaign.

It's a situation Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna has wrestled with throughout the Suns' debut season, trying to get games into his youngsters while also rotating them and developing their bodies for hopefully a long future in the game.

"In two or three years' time he'd probably play, but right now I don't think there's much point in risking him," McKenna said last month about his decision to rest ruckman Zac Smith.

"That's his body telling us he needs a rest."

It was suggested by commentator Robert Walls during Essendon's heavy loss to Carlton last Saturday that Dyson Heppell, favourite for this year's Rising Star award, was also finding the going tough at the end of his first season.

But there are some Sydney Swans cygnets who appear to be bucking the trend.

Highly rated young forward Sam Reid, who played one game in 2010, has played all 17 games this season and is another nominee for the Rising Star award.

Rather than slowing down, the 19-year-old has played some of his best football in recent weeks, kicking six of his 14 goals for the season over the past three rounds.

Fellow 19-year-old Alex Johnson, pick No. 57 from last year's NAB AFL Draft, expected to struggle to get a game in his debut season.

Instead he has played 13 games since his debut in round three, missing just two games due to injury, and has averaged 14.5 touches, nearly four marks and 1.5 tackles over the past month.

Swans coach John Longmire said the club had carefully managed the youngsters, but always expected them to perform on game day.

"I think that's important, when we pick those blokes we're expecting them to finish the year off strongly," he said.

"We see them as senior players. We disregard their birth certificates.

"You try to look after them during the week, but when we pick them to play on the weekends, they're there to play and to fill a role.

"They've been able to do it every week for us, which has been great.

"We understand what their workload is during the week, but come game day we want them to deliver and they've been good at it."

While the Swans have introduced 10 rookies to senior football over the past two years, they still have a solid core of veterans guiding them through.

Co-captain Adam Goodes is regularly seen encouraging young players, running 70m to pat Johnson on the back in last week's win over the Western Bulldogs when the defender found space on the wing and produced a perfectly centred ball that led to a goal.

"You have to, we've got such a young team and you have to encourage these young kids to do those things over and over again," Goodes said.

"If we keep getting on their backs and encouraging them, they're going to keep wanting to do it to get those accolades and pats on the back."

The Swans may be getting plenty of benefit out of their junior players, but Longmire also knows they can always do with some rest.

Following the victory over the Bulldogs, which shored up their place in the top-eight, the Swans are enjoying a bye before gearing up for their final five games of the home and away season.

"If you look at Sam Reid, Alex Johnson, Luke Parker, Daniel Hannebery, a lot of our younger kids have played a lot of footy this year in pretty big roles for us," Longmire said.

"So they'll enjoy having a little break and our senior players as well.

"Hopefully in the back part of the year we can get some more players back in our reserves, get our depth up a bit more, and put some pressure on for spots."

Ryan O'Keefe is another of the Swans veterans who is relishing a brief break late in the season.

He believes the injection of youth at the club is also helping the experienced players get through the season.

"They're playing some really good footy," he said.

"I think they're improving and becoming more mature with the more game experience, which is really good.

"It helps take a bit of the load off the more experienced players."