All eyes will be on Lance Franklin at the SCG on Saturday, but a new-look midfield will prove just as decisive in Sydney's bid to return to AFL finals.

An awful lot has changed at the club since Franklin's previous AFL clash some 581 days ago.

In the recent off-season alone, the Swans made two major changes to their engine room.

Callum Mills, who won the 2016 Rising Star award as a defender and remained down back for most of the next four seasons, has secured a coveted spot in Sydney's on-ball brigade.

The positional shift coincided with the arrival of experienced ruckman Tom Hickey from West Coast.

Mills was best on ground in the Swans' round-one win, bettering Brisbane's star-studded midfield headed by reigning Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale, while Hickey also starred in the upset.

Mills, having been drafted as a midfielder, believes serving an apprenticeship elsewhere has reaped multiple benefits.

"There's a bit of a joke going around that I was always the first to abuse the midfielders," the Swans' academy product told AAP on the eve of Saturday's clash with Adelaide.

"So now it's my responsibility to cop that abuse.

"It was good to grow my game (down back), I was able to add different strings to my bow.

"I really enjoyed (playing on the ball) ... and as a midfield group we've got plenty more to learn."

Mills tallied a career-best 29 disposals and booted two goals, while Hickey had a game-high nine clearances alongside 23 possessions and 24 hitouts.

It was the byproduct of months of hard work from the duo, who learned what makes each other tick through trial and error, match simulation, video footage and just becoming mates.

"As soon as Tom came in, we did a lot of work as a broader midfield group. It's changed a little bit, we wanted to create trust within," Mills said.

"Tom was really open about the way he plays, what he likes. All the midfielders bounced things off him."

Hickey admitted it always takes time to build connection with a new midfield.

"I've been really lucky. As soon as I got to the club, I became really goods friends with Millsy, Luke Parker and Josh Kennedy," he said.

"Everyone's welcomed me with open arms."

Hickey also highlighted the mentorship of midfield coach and ruck great Dean Cox.

"I was lucky to play against him a couple of times ... now I'm learning from one of the best ever," Hickey said.

"Often the midfield coach is a former midfielder, they don't love the rucks too much or care about the craft.

"So it's been great to have a midfield coach who genuinely looks at the opposition ruckmen, angles they come from and things like that."

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Sydney return to the SCG on Saturday March 27 for their round two clash against the Adelaide Crows. Click here to secure your seat at the footy.