Sydney Swans co-captain Jarrad McVeigh will have the final say on whether or not he makes his first appearance of the season in Saturday night's blockbuster against Adelaide.

McVeigh's rehabilitation from the knee surgery he had after the 2015 season has taken longer than expected, and the frustrated star has only joined the Swans' main training group in the last month.

After stepping up his running a fortnight ago the 30-year-old was forced to scale back his training briefly after suffering hamstring tightness, but McVeigh has trained well since that minor setback.

Coach John Longmire joked last month the 2012 premiership midfielder might have to come back through the reserves, but said on Tuesday that McVeigh's selection was entirely in his own hands.

"He's played a lot of football, he understands the importance of the call he makes (about) whether he's right or not," Longmire said.

"A lot of responsibility goes with him because you have a lot of faith what he's able to deliver week in, week out, and how he knows his body.

"He's certainly very close and he's right in the frame, he's an experienced player but we'll make that decision on Thursday."

McVeigh would be a handy addition to the Swans' defence when the ladder-leaders take on their toughest test of 2016 on the road, with the Crows flying as AFL's highest scoring team after three rounds.

With skipper Taylor Walker, Josh Jenkins and Eddie Betts in fantastic form and Tom Lynch set to return after missing a week to be at the birth of his child, Adelaide's forward line is just about the most potent and dynamic set-up in the competition.

The Swans' midfield stars like Luke Parker, Josh Kennedy, Kieren Jack and Dan Hannebery have started the season in outstanding touch, but Longmire said their work when the opposition has the ball is vital to help his experienced backline.

"We talk a lot about our two-way game internally and that’s what really counts for us, to make sure they're not only getting the ball but putting enormous pressure on the opposition," he said.

"Our midfielders are up against some of the best players in the competition every week and their ability to put pressure on those guys really helps our defenders out.

"Whether it's at the source winning contested ball, or outside and running hard defensively, they play a big part in our team.

"They'll be tested this week, Adelaide have got some quality forwards but they've quality mids as well, so our guys are looking forward to that opportunity."

Longmire said he was excited about the club's position both on and off the field with the Swans' reserves winning their first two games of the year in the NEAFL, and the club reaching 50,000 members for the first time in their history.