The Sydney Swans will welcome back a man with 121 games, 126 goals and a premiership medal on the mantelpiece as Sam Reid runs out for Saturday night’s JLT Community Series fixture.

Sydney’s clash with GWS at Blacktown International Sportspark will see the towering forward tick a key box on the road back from an injury-riddled 2018 campaign. 

Reid ran out for his only senior match of 2018 for the Swans’ duel with the Giants at the SCG in Round 3, and the 27-year-old would add just another two NEAFL games to his season.

But 2019 is a new year and Sydney coach John Longmire says Reid will add plenty of strike to the Swans’ set-up on Saturday.

“Sam is going quite well. He missed last week’s practice match because he was a little bit tight and we didn’t want to push him,” Longmire said.

“Sam gives us a lot of structure up front. With Sam it’s not just about hitting the scoreboard; it’s about the structure and what he allows other players to do. He gives us a real target coming out of defence and that’s so important. He’s a very good contested mark, he gets across the ground really well and he gives us an outlet kick, which we were probably missing a bit last year.”

Lance Franklin, Kieren Jack and Daniel Menzel will all watch from the sideline on Saturday, meaning Reid is set to play as the Swans’ most experienced forward.

Crumbing at his feet will be the likes of lively young forwards Tom Papley and Will Hayward, who are on the verge of their second outings of the year after featuring in last week’s practice match against GWS.

The Swans will face the Gold Coast Suns in Lismore in their second and final match of the JLT Community Series, before they part the curtains on their official campaign in a clash with the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on March 23.

Longmire says the string of pre-season games are crucial to preparation for the season ahead.

“It’s good to be able to keep lifting the tempo and the competitiveness against genuine opposition, and this week it’ll go up another level again,” Longmire said.

“It’ll be important over the next two weeks to sharpen up for Round 1.”