NEAFL Swans coach Rhyce Shaw is chomping at the bit ahead of his biggest test of season 2017, Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash with Brisbane.

And for very good reason, with a league-record 40 AFL-listed players expected to line up in the Brisbane-v-Western Bulldogs curtain-raiser.

Well-rested from the bye and one game clear on top, the NEAFL Swans have has a near-seamless run since suffering their only defeat of the season, to the Lions back in Round 1.

They boast an average winning margin of 77 points and have since turned the tables on the Lions since, by a combined 47 points in Round 6, which bodes well for Shaw and a playing group who have been injected with more senior talent following Thursday night’s team announcements.

As a consolation for losing Kurt Tippett to the AFL, the ruckman coming off a five-goal outing in the NEAFL Swans’ last clash, against NT thunder just under a fortnight ago, Shaw gets back five frontline midfielders in Jordan Foote, Dan Robinson, Harry Cunningham, Brandon Jack and Shaun Edwards.

Both Foote and Robinson make their way back from senior duties while it will be Cunningham’s first game for several weeks having fully rehabbed his foot injury.

Jack and Edwards were rested ahead of the Round 17 clash against Thunder.

“Harry will play most of the game, which is huge considering he hasn’t played for 10 or so weeks, so he’ll slot back into the midfield,” Shaw said.

“Welcoming back Foote, Robinson, Cunningham, Jack and Edwards is a massive bonus for us and holds us in good stead for what’s one of biggest, if not the biggest, challenge for us to date.”

Brisbane, one a nine-game winning streak, have also lost two key players in Michael Paparone and Jack Frost to injury but still boast a host of top-level talent to keep Shaw and his charges on their toes at the Gabba.

“They’ve been playing some good footy, they’re on an impressive winning streak, they’ve got some quality players in so it should be a great game I reckon.” Shaw said.

“It’s the battle for top spot, really, there’s a bit on the line so I’m looking forward to it.”

Losing Tippett means Shaw has had to go back to the drawing board to find a way to contest the stoppages.

First-year rookie Toby Pink and QBE Sydney Swans Academy big man Liam Maze have stepped up in previous games, while swing man Aliir Aliir has been used from time to time.

Shaw says, regardless of what the ruck combination looks like on Saturday, the onus will be on how well the midfield group.

“We’ve run with a few different combos already this year when we’ve gone down a ruckman,” the coach added.

“They’ve got two quality ruckman in Archie Smith and Oscar McInerney so it’ll be a challenge for us but we’ve done a good job in negating opposition ruckmen and midfields.

“We have to be really switched on, with the way we go about things and the way we do it. The way we want to play is important and that stems from how we set up.”

Jordan Dawson will look to replicate the same form which has seen him average just under 30 disposals and continue to push for senior selection, while the likes of experience defender Jeremy Laidler, goal-kicker James Rose, and skipper Brandon Jack have also had sound seasons to date and will be key to the Swans bringing home a 15th-straight win.

NEAFL Round 19 - Briabane Lions v Sydney Swans
Saturday, August 5 @ 12.45pm
Gabba, Brisbane (curtain-raiser to Brisbane v Western Bulldogs)