Sydney Swans star Lance Franklin says a full summer training alongside Kurt Tippett has given the feared duo a better understanding of how each other plays, in an ominous warning for opposition backlines.
The Swans pair trained alongside each other no more than twice last pre-season as Tippett recovered from a knee injury.
It is a different story 12 months on, with the pair's constant presence on the track a cause for optimism as the Swans look to move on from their shattering Grand Final performance last year.
"I think we've both got that connection where we know where each other is and hopefully that can progress and get better and better and better," Franklin said at the Swans' Coffs Harbour training camp this week.
"I think it's a bright future for us.
"Last year we weren't able to get out on the track together … we probably had one or two (pre-season) sessions where we trained together.
"(But) we just went out there in round eight and got that chemistry straight away."
After combining for 23 goals in their first three games together last season, Franklin and Tippett looked unstoppable, moving the Swans into premiership favouritism.
Tippett then injured his troublesome knee against Gold Coast in round 12, missing four of the next five matches and prompting another frustrating run where training alongside Franklin was a rarity.
The former Crow, who is bullish about his own prosects going into his third season with the Swans, has soaked up his time on the track this summer.
"It's fantastic to train alongside one of the premier players this pre-season, and I'm really enjoying learning off 'Bud'," Tippett told AFL.com.au.
"You just need to watch the way he goes about it and the energy he brings, then you sit down with him and he's always happy to have a chat about his experiences.
"I think we'll continue to build our relationship, and to see him have a full pre-season … it's going to be wild to watch him this year."
The default structure for the Swans' forward line last year was Tippett playing deep as a contested marking target, and Franklin roaming up the ground with more freedom.
Both, however, believe interchanging roles and being unpredictable to their opponents will be a key aspect of improving in 2015.
It's a tactic that could be made possible by the athletic Tippett's fitness this pre-season and Franklin's improved contested marking, which lifted from 1.2 a game in 2013 to 2.3 in his first season with the Swans.
"It helps when 'Tippo' is there because we can tend to get the one-on-ones," Franklin said.
"Having 'Tippo' in the team definitely straightens us up. I love playing with him (and) not being the focal point every time."
