The Sydney Swans younger players have the perfect opportunity over the next fortnight to develop their leadership skills in the absence of their senior teammates.

Monday marked day one of pre-season training for the first to fourth year players with the remainder of the playing group to return on December 5.

Among the group already back on track are regular senior team members Isaac Heeney, Callum Mills and Tom Papley.

Coaching Director and Head of Development John Blakey said the next two weeks provided a chance for the younger players to strengthen their skill set.

“It is a real opportunity for these boys to improve their personal skills in particular their leadership,” Blakey said.

“We are training three times a week and no leaders are at training at this point so it gives the younger guys a chance to really develop their own skills in that area.

“They can be directing in training, running training drills, giving feedback to each other rather than that coming from that core group of leaders.

“It is a really good period where they can work together and we can get a lot of benefit out of it.”

Blakey said all players had returned in good condition and ready to attack what is set to be a gruelling pre-season training block ahead of the Christmas break.

“We have been really pleased with the way that they have come back to training,” he said.

“We had our 3km time trial the other day which we saw Jordan Foote win and we have been really happy with some of the improvements in that.

“Jordan Dawson is another one who has really improved with a personal best time so the first signs have been good.”

It is no surprise that Dawson has been among the strong performers in week one of the pre-season after injuries interrupted his 2016 season.

“Jordan had a few injuries last year and probably didn’t get to play the footy he would have wanted to play,” Blakey said.

“He has a steely resolve in the way that he has come back in terms of his skinfold reading, his time in the time trial and the way that he ran out there at training.

“He seems to have a real resolve that he wants to make an impact this year so he has turned up in really good shape.”