Swans defender Nick Smith says he is rapt to be back out on the field after recovering from a virus that saw him sidelined for two matches.

Smith returned to the Swans line-up as the starting substitute in last Sunday’s 37-point win over Hawthorn, and gathered five kicks and nine handpasses in the second half after being activated during the half-time break.

Speaking this afternoon ahead of the QBE Sydney Swans Ladies Lunch at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Smith said he was now over the inner ear infection that had initially felled him pretty badly.

“I was a little bit nervous (going into the Hawthorn game) because I’d been a bit dizzy the last couple of weeks with my illness, but it was definitely good to get back out there and I felt fine,” Smith said about his return against the Hawks.

“Initially, (the virus) was really bad. I couldn’t stand up and I couldn’t sit up, and I was pretty nauseous.

“(I spent) a couple of days in hospital, but then got out and it was just a slow build-up into what I could do. I was doing a lot of catching of balls - tennis balls, footies, and that kind of thing - to get my balance and coordination back.

“I think anytime you’re watching your team mates play it’s pretty frustrating, and it was (frustrating) because I could still run, I could still do weights, I just couldn’t catch the footy as well as I would have liked.”

Smith said the team is confident following an undefeated start to the season, but knows it is still only early days in the marathon that is the AFL season.

“We’re really happy with our start - there’s no question about that - but there’s a long way to go,” he said.

“We’ve started really well and we’ve taken a lot of confidence out of the last few weeks. It’s only round five, and we’ve had a good start and looking forward to tomorrow.

“We’re under no illusions (that) there’s a long way to go in the season.”

The 23-year-old is expecting the in-from Crows to be extremely hard to beat tomorrow night, and is hoping a parochial Sydney crowd will get behind the red and white and drive the Swans home ground advantage.

“(Adelaide have) been going really well, they’re 4-1,” Smith said.

“Pressure is going to be a key tomorrow again, and we just stick with what we know and what we can do.

"I think we're expecting a large crowd tomorrow - even a sell out, nearly - so it's really good that the people of Sydney are getting behind us at the moment.

“I’ve been here, this is my sixth year now, and every year the AFL engagement from the city and the fans has grown, so I think it’s ever increasing and hopefully it continues that way.”