Sydney-born Swan Kieren Jack never thought he’d see the day there would be an AFL Sydney Derby.

Now, days before the second ever Sydney Derby, Jack said he is excited to again be a part of a historic year for football in the harbour city.

“I never even thought we’d have a Sydney Derby when I was growing up,” Jack said.

“I think it’s a great thing for AFL in Sydney and New South Wales to have two teams so the supporters can pick a side and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Speaking at a joint press conference ahead of Saturday night’s clash at ANZ Stadium alongside team mates Josh Kennedy and Alex Johnson, as well as GWS players Jonathon Patton, Jeremy Cameron and Toby Greene, Jack said he is expecting a much improved Giants’ side to the one the Swans defeated by 63 points in round one.

He said the GWS brand of football was ultra-competitive, so the Swans will need to be on their game this weekend.

“I think they can threaten any time they play. They’re a pretty good side and we respect them,” he said.

“The way they play footy they can beat teams, so we’ve got to be on our guard and ready to go, we certainly can’t come into the weekend and be a bit off.”

The speedy midfielder said the Swans will go into this weekend’s Derby with plenty of momentum, after securing two top eight scalps in Essendon and Geelong in the last two matches.

“One thing we’ve gained is a lot of confidence out of the last two weeks,” Jack said.

“In the first half of the year our first quarters were pretty poor, and now we’ve been able to start really well and put ourselves in a really good position.

“Over the last few weeks we’ve gained a lot of confidence and the boys are in good spirits.”

One player who will be looking to replicate his first round form is Swans midfielder Josh Kennedy.

Kennedy was the inaugural recipient of the Brett Kirk Medal, which is awarded to the best afield in every Sydney Swans versus GWS contest.

“I was pretty proud after round one to receive that (Brett Kirk) medal,” Kennedy said.

“It is up for grabs again this week so I’ll put putting the best foot forward.

“Obviously Kirky left a great legacy on this club and it was an honour to receive that medal in his name.”

Like Jack, Kennedy said he has been impressed with the GWS’ progression this season, and expects they will bring their tough brand of football this weekend.

“I think the one thing that hasn’t been questioned is their intensity and their attack on the ball,” he said.

“Certainly from round one, we know we are going to get a strong contest and we’ll have to bring that as well if we’re going to compete.

“We’re in a pretty good spot and have given ourselves every opportunity going into the second half of the year, and there is a lot we still need to work on and we’ll continue to work on those things and try to bring our best this weekend because we know (GWS) will.”