Swans co-captain Adam Goodes is anticipating a battle of the young guns in this Saturday’s clash with the Brisbane Lions.
Speaking ahead of the club’s final training session this morning, Goodes highlighted the work rate of his young team mates this season, including Lewis Jetta, Tony Armstrong and Sam Reid.
“They’ve taken it to the next level this year and are part of the reason why we sit 10-3,” Goodes said of the Swans up-and-coming talent.
“Our older players keep contributing, but it’s those guys in the middle tier and the younger players who keep stepping up and are the players we look to week in, week out to help push it to the next standard.”
The dual Brownlow medallist said the coming of age of players like Jetta, Armstrong as well as young leader Kieren Jack have contributed to the exciting brand of football the Swans have produced in 2012.
“The players we now have are definitely making us look faster, but I think the way we move the football from defence is a real reflection of that,” Goodes said.
“I do think we have some really good outside run, but I think our ball use this year has been a lot more effective and the ball is actually moving faster, so therefore everyone thinks we’re probably a lot quicker than we are.
“I think our skill level has probably improved this year, and the guys like Lewis Jetta and Tony Armstrong and Kieren Jack are getting a lot more of the footy so it does look like we’re a lot faster, and we’ll take that.”
Goodes added that he was impressed with the improvement of developing key forward Sam Reid in just his third year at the club.
“I know how hard it is to operate as a key forward and he’s taken the best defender or the second best defender every week, and for a young kid that can be quite hard,” he said.
“We need to work better as a forward line to support Sam, and we know that.
“Our keys aren’t taking too many contested marks down there, and yes we’d like to take a lot more, but we’re kicking really good scores and Sam is getting involved with his pressure acts and his kicking of goals on the run.
“We’re really looking forward to Sam just keeping on developing at the rate his is.”
This weekend’s clash with the Lions marks Goodes’ third game back after a six-week layoff with a quad injury.
Goodes said he was experiencing no lingering effects from the injury and feels prepared for the remainder of the season.
“I feel great, I feel really good and I’m training well,” he said.
“There has been nothing sore or wrong with my leg since two weeks after I did it.
“Mentally there are no problems with it so it’s now just a matter of touching the footy and timing my marks and kicking straight.”
Goodes said while his slow return has been frustrating, he was just happy to back playing with his teammates.
“I’m a very proud person when it comes to my performance and there’s a few of my own pressure acts on the weekend that I wasn’t happy with and they were sub-standard and they were things that I’ll be working on this week,” he said.
“If I can get my pressure up and keep running on top of the ground like I was last week, then I know I’m going to play a lot better than I did the week before.
“If it takes another two weeks or takes another month, then so be it as long as I’m playing a role for the team and we keep on winning.”
Not Goodes, perfect.
Swans co-captain Adam Goodes was at his scintillating best when Sydney last met the Brisbane Lions in round 24 last year.
In the Swans 52-point win over Brisbane in the final round of the 2011 home and away season, Goodes notched up a game-high 29 disposals, including 18 kicks, 11 handballs, as well as six marks, three tackles and four goals.
Goodes was dominant in the first quarter, starting the match in the forward line and kicking two goals and taking a spectacular mark against the Lions at the SCG.
The dual Brownlow medallist then added another two goals over the remainder of the match.
The Swans star was instrumental in setting up a number of goals in the game, including a spectacular pass which saw Swans young gun Gary Rohan kick his third goal of the evening.
Goodes’ performance in last year’s clash with the Lions was so impressive that he was awarded a perfect 50 in the club’s Bob Skilton Medal count, with the player drawing maximum points from all five Swans’ coaches - John Longmire, John Blakey, Leigh Tudor, Stuart Dew and Mark Stone.
Goodes’ display was also the first time in three years that a Swans player’s performance had attracted a perfect score.
Click on the video player above to re-live Goodes' match against Brisbane last year
It seems Goodes’ form in round 24 last year was not a one off, with the player leading the way in a number of clashes with the Lions.
The 32-year-old has also polled Brownlow votes in six of his last 11 matches against the Lions.
While not receiving a Brownlow vote, Goodes also starred in the Swans round 11 match with the Lions last year, kicking two goals and amassing 19 possessions to be named among the Swans’ best.
