The Sydney Swans will be looking to notch their first win of the season on Saturday when they face Aspley in a curtain-raiser at the SCG.

The Swans are winless ahead of the curtain-raiser to Sydney’s match with North Melbourne, but development coach Jeremy Laidler said the Swans were primed for a tough test.

“It’s going to be a great hit-out,” Laidler said.

“We’re too contested sides. They’ve got some really senior guys in their team. We’re really looking forward to the challenge for the young boys but it’s one we’re ready for.”

Ben Ronke’s starring debut in the senior side's win over Geelong last Saturday has energised the team.

The lively forward honed his trade in the NEAFL in his first season in Swans colours in 2017 and has featured in two of the reserves’ three matches this season.

He was rewarded at the selection table for strong NEAFL form and finished with a pair of goals and 15 possessions and impressed with intense defensive pressure.

“We know there’s different levels you can go into the AFL at but we get a massive kick out of it when one of the young boys go and debut for the senior team,” Laidler said.

“Ben had a great game and it shows that you don’t have to do the highlight stuff. You just play your role and do the team thing and that’s what he did when he went into the seniors.

“He’s taken some really good form from the pre-season into the first few games of the NEAFL and he’s taken that into playing against Geelong.

“He did play really well and played to his role to the best of his ability and his defensive pressure was a real highlight.

“We try to play the AFL style in the NEAFL and hopefully we get a few more debutants coming through." 

The reserves fell to GWS in a season-opening four-point loss before succumbing to a 50-point defeat to Brisbane in Round 2.

They had a bye in Round 3 and punched above their weight in a nine-point loss to the Gold Coast Suns last Saturday.

They took on the Suns with just 10 AFL-listed players and lost star forward James Rose (head knock) early in the third term.

Seven QBE Sydney Swans Academy players made NEAFL debuts and the reserves continued to contend with the challenge of players taking on senior duties.

But the margin never blew out to more than eight points until midway through the third quarter and Sydney ran in two final-quarter majors to the Gold Coast’s one to remain in the hunt all day. 

Another five Academy players will make their first NEAFL appearances in the Aspley clash in Hamish Ellem, Jordan Adams, Jacob Dol, Harry McGuire and Noah Casalini.

Rose will miss the Round 5 fixture among a total of 11 outs, while the returns of Nic Newman, Dan Robinson and Colin O’Riordan are set to bolster the NEAFL stocks.

Laidler said the NEAFL provided the next generation of Swans stars with a strong production line to the AFL.

“We try and develop them as quick as we can to play senior footy,” Laidler said.

“It might take longer than Benny Ronke for other kids but you might get some kids who go straight into the AFL side.

“The NEAFL is a great competition for our younger boys to play in and get up to standard with the AFL competition.”

Aspley recorded its first win of the season in a 15-point victory over the Canberra Demons last Saturday.

The Hornets led at every change and were particularly strong in the third quarter in piling on five goals to the Demons’ one to take a 24-point lead into the final change. 

They will be without go-to ruckman Jake Spencer on Saturday, who is leading the competition in hit-outs, but will be bolstered by the return of seasoned big man Will Wolbers.

The 25-year-old was a Queensland Under-18s representative and promises to engage in a gripping rucking duel with Swans big men Darcy Cameron, Aliir Aliir and Joel Amartey.

Ex North Melbourne captain Andrew Swallow and former Kangaroos forward Ben Warren will also buoy the Hornets ahead of their former side’s match with the Swans.

Two-time NEAFL MVP Matt Payne is the barometer of Aspley’s engine room and gathered a game-high 33 disposals to poll a perfect 10 votes in his side’s win over Canberra last week.

Payne led the way in a relentless midfield display as the Hornets raked in 364 disposals to the Demons’ 317.

Sydney will play its first home clash since facing GWS in Round 1 and Laidler said the reserves were eager to bring in the main show.

“It will be good for the boys to run out in front of all the coaches,” Laidler said. 

“Most of the senior players get to watch half of the game and so do the senior coaches. You do get a bit of a kick out of it but as well as that you get to play on the SCG. 

“It’s a great deck out here and we train on it and it will be good to play on it.”