Co-captain Jarrad McVeigh has been welcomed back into the Sydney Swans’ line-up for Saturday night’s clash against Adelaide.
The 30-year-old is one of two changes for the match at Adelaide Oval, with Dean Towers called up after his strong performance in the NEAFL.
Zak Jones and George Hewett have been omitted.
McVeigh, who missed the first three games of the season after having an interrupted pre-season, adds extra experience and leadership to a side searching for a fourth consecutive win.
Speaking for this week’s Centrum Team Selection, senior coach John Longmire said the skipper’s inclusion was a massive boost ahead of the Round 5 encounter against the Crows.
“We understand we’ve had a good start but we need to keep improving,” he said.
“Jarrad is obviously a smart player, he sees the game really well, he’s just a really big influence he’s so experienced so it’s great to have him back in the team.
“He has trained for a long time now and he’s ready go.
“Dean also comes back in after a week out. He gives us speed and power on a big ground. He can also play in a number of positions like through the midfield, across half forward and deep.”
The Swans boast a perfect record at the Adelaide Oval, coming away with three wins from three appearances.
The last against Adelaide came in Round 3, 2014, when the Luke Parker and Lance Franklin spearheaded a 63-point win in front of a 47,426 strong crowd.
Despite the strong record, Longmire said history has counted for little when preparing for the dangerous Crows.
“We don’t put too much weight on those stats,” Longmire added.
“Every time we’ve played there we’ve played the sort of footy we have wanted to play.
“We enjoy the experience, it’s a wonderful ground, it’s a terrific atmosphere and I’m sure it will be the same this week.”
Longmire’s men have won the past four encounters against Adelaide, three of which have been by comfortable margins, but the coach remains wary of the highest scoring team in the competition.
“They’re really good at getting the ball from defence to attack and scoring from those launches,” he said. “They’ve got a very good game plan, very sound, and have an even team.”
Zak Jones, Tyrone Leonardis and Toby Nankervis have been names as emergencies.
