Sydney Swans young gun Isaac Heeney says the Goodes-O’Loughlin Medal he received for a best-on-ground performance on Friday is worth its weight in gold.

Heeney gathered 22 disposals and two goals to claim the prized gong as Sydney clawed a hard-fought 30-point victory over Carlton in Marn Grook at the SCG, the Sir Doug Nicholls Round opener.

The Medal originated in 2016 in honour of Sydney champions Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin, who etched their names in Swans folklore as two of the greatest Indigenous players to have graced the turf.

Heeney became the third Goodes-O’Loughlin Medallist in history in the Round 11 win after Tom Mitchell won out in 2016 and Lance Franklin last year.

The QBE Sydney Swans Academy product received the honour with great pride.

“It’s such a special feeling, especially to receive it from Micky O’ and Goodesy,” Heeney told SwansTV post-match.

“I was lucky enough to play a couple of years with Goodesy and Micky O’ took me through the Academy.

“It’s unbelievable for me and it’s a matter of embracing Indigenous culture and embracing that throughout the AFL.”

Goodes played 372 games for the Swans between 1999 and 2015 and collected two Brownlow Medals on his way.

In 2015, the two Swans stood alongside each other in the side's forward 50 in Heeney’s first AFL season and Goodes’ last.

O’Loughlin piled up 303 games between 1995 and 2009 and was the first Swan in history to reach a triple century.

The 521-goal champion served as head coach of the Swans Academy for more than two years between 2013 and 2016 as Heeney honed his trade as one of the brightest up-and-comers in the country.

Although it meant a lot to Heeney to receive the Goodes-O’Loughlin Medal, the 22-year-old was all praise for his teammates.

“The midfielders were going forward and kicking goals, which is huge and takes a bit of pressure off the forwards,” Heeney said.

“It was really good, consistent footy from a good group of fellas.

“Now it’s just a matter of continuing to gel as a team and work towards those four-quarter performances.”