Injured Sydney Swans stars Luke Parker and Kieren Jack might not have featured in the team's finals campaign in 2015, but the pair continue to have a massive influence, Tom Mitchell says.
Parker, the Swans' reigning club champion, hasn't played since breaking his lower leg against Collingwood at the SCG in round 20, while co-captain Jack went down in the final game of the regular season against Gold Coast with medial ligament strain.
Jack remains an outside chance of playing again this year should the Swans win this week's semi-final against North Melbourne, but Parker faces a more difficult task to pull on the boots again in 2015.
Despite the absence of two of his team's best onballers, Mitchell said the duo had been exceptional over the past few weeks, especially Parker, who is making a quicker-than-expected recovery from leg surgery.
"We all know how much of a tough, hard player he is, and how much of an important part of our team he is, and we'd love to have him back as soon as we can," Mitchell said before training at the SCG on Tuesday.
"They're two guys in our leadership group and two guys who really lead from the front both through their actions, and from things that are said during the week.
"Those guys have still kept the group focused and are still motivating everyone to perform at each training session and in each game.
"They've still been very valuable even though they're not playing."
Mitchell, Dan Hannebery and Josh Kennedy have shouldered most of the midfield load with Jack and Parker in the rehab group, averaging almost 90 possessions per game between them.
The 22-year-old son of former Swans champion Barry Mitchell believes the club has the midfield depth to once again have a big say in this year's finals series.
"Everyone is going to have to step up and go to another level - we've still got a lot of guys who can come through the midfield and play a role and fill the void," Mitchell said.
"All we can focus on is the 22 guys that run out and play on Saturday night.
"I'm sure if we get all 22 players on board, we can win."
Kangaroos tagger Ben Jacobs kept Richmond captain Trent Cotchin to just nine disposals last week and will no doubt have his eyes on one of the Swans' gun midfielders on Saturday night at ANZ Stadium.
Despite having his best season in 2015, Mitchell doesn't expect to see the North stopper by his side, expecting Jacobs to target Hannebery – the AFL's leading possession winner this year – or Kennedy.
Whoever Jacobs ends up on this week, Mitchell says it'll be a team effort to nullify his influence.
"He did a good job on Cotchin on the weekend so I'm sure he'll probably go to someone this week, but we'll make sure we make it a team effort to try and help out whoever that is as much as we can," he said.
"We'll put a lot of focus into every individual on their team and find out where we think we can exploit certain areas.
"We'll do our homework and look and all their players, obviously (Andrew) Swallow, (Jack) Ziebell, (Ben) Cunnington and 'Boomer' Harvey, they've got a really strong midfield.
"We're going to have to be at our best to shut those guys down."
