The Swans and Giants will cross swords for Sydney Derby XIV at the SCG on Saturday night, but the rivalry will rear its head beforehand.

The Swans’ NEAFL side will get season 2018 underway with a clash with the Giants in an AFL curtain-raiser.

Development coach Tadhg Kennelly says the reserves are primed for the opening game of their premiership campaign.

“We’ve had a few games in the pre-season and have played the Giants twice already, albeit with less numbers on both sides,” Kennelly said.

“But we’ve prepared really well and of our seven first-year players all of them will play on Saturday. Matt Ling, Tom McCartin and Angus Styles have all been very good and then you’ve got the two Academy boys in James Bell and Jake Brown. Their ability to learn and understand new structures and the way the Swans play has been impressive.

“All you can do is compete hard and that’s what we’ve done in our pre-season games. The boys will have to compete extremely hard when the ball is in their area, win their one-on-one contests and look to instil the structures and standards of AFL level.”

Sydney and GWS met three times in 2017 and the Swans prevailed on every occasion.

But the sides have banked an archive of NEAFL epics since the Giants joined the competition in 2012, including a one-point thriller in 2016 and a four-point heart-stopper in the grand final later in the season.

The Swans lead the head-to-head 12 to 10 and Kennelly says they will be buoyed by a number of bright prospects as they push for a 13^th victory on Saturday.

“Our early Draft picks in Ling and McCartin could push for senior selection this year,” Kennelly said.

“Ling is a half-back left-footer who uses the ball very well and is very exciting on the ball and McCartin is a centre-half forward who leads and attacks the footy ferociously in the air and on the ground as well. 

“Developing young men and getting them ready to play elite football at elite standards is crucial. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, if we’re playing against ourselves or AFL clubs or non-AFL clubs, it’s about understanding what we want to do as a football club structurally and the standards we want to set for young men to come in.

“When they do get the opportunity like George Hewett has they need to continue it on as if they’re playing NEAFL footy. It shouldn’t matter if you’re playing NEAFL or senior footy as there’s a way we want to play footy at the Swans and that’s what we try to encourage and instil in our young men.”

Kennelly says towering ruck-forward Joel Amartey is another name to keep an eye on in 2018, while Colin O’Riordan “will be looking for his AFL debut in his third year at the Swans”.

The 2005 premiership player said the experience of defender Harry Marsh would be crucial to the Swans in a NEAFL or senior capacity this season, while he expected midfielder Jordan Foote to impress in 2018.

He says the AFL curtain-raiser will present all players with an opportunity to shine.

“Playing at the SCG is super,” Kennelly said. 

“The opportunity to play at AFL grounds but also play in front of the AFL players and senior coaches is great as you can stake your claims with them all watching live. The atmosphere and energy around a curtain-raiser gives them the feeling that they’re playing a game of AFL football.”