Sydney Swans midfielder Chad Warner spoke to the media on Tuesday, ahead of his 100th game on Friday night. 

Warner was asked about the milestone, the team's belief, the return of key players and the challenge of the Bulldogs on Friday night.

On the team's morale

"Yeah, I think, like you said, the morale definitely is a lot better. It makes you a lot happier after a couple of wins, but there's a long road to go. I think we've definitely improved a lot of things around the club standard-wise, off-field standards and on-field standards, so I think it's a good start. I'm pretty excited to see what we've got ahead as well."

On the pleasing elements of the win against Port Adelaide

"I think the pressure we applied, the front-half turnovers we were able to acquire, I think were the main things that we looked at. The goalkicking will sort itself out, not too worried about that to be honest, but yeah, we played kind of a swan style that we've been training to play, that we've had the last couple of years."

On whether bringing physicality was something that was spoken about

"Yeah, I think it was more the off-field stuff around the club as well, in terms of standards where we let slip a little bit that we wouldn't in the past, and we've just tuned that up a little bit. We've tuned up a few things in terms of challenging and rewarding other players, whether it's feedback or giving advice. So, I think that along with the training, physicality has helped a lot."

On playing his 100th game on Friday night

"Yeah, very excited. I think to play against such an in-form team as well, it's exactly what I want to be playing in too, and I think to have this journey with all the boys that I have with so far, I'm very excited for Friday night. To be honest, it's pretty weird to think that it's come around already and coming from Perth, not knowing what was going to be happening after that and not knowing even if I was going to play one game. So I'm so grateful, first of all, I guess, for the chance to be given by the club and then so grateful to be valued so much within a footy club and a community as well. It's honestly just so exciting, but I can't wait to see the next 100 or so, hopefully. "

On the team's belief

"I think we always believe that we'll be in the race and in contention. Like I said before, we've got a long way to go, but I think having, I guess what we have Millsy (Callum Mills) and Cunno (Harry Cunningham) the other week, and then having Joel (Amartey), Errol (Gulden) and Paps (Tom Papley) this week, and then maybe a couple more to come, it does give you a lot more confidence. And I think it showed on the weekend just how important those guys are as well.

On Errol Gulden's return

"Yeah, it was great fun, it's pretty funny how his left boot didn't leave him at all. He's hitting targets left, right and centre at the start, I think he thought thoroughly, enjoyed it too. He wasn't too happy when they brought him off at the end though to manage his minutes, he was complaining to the S&C staff, but that's just him to be honest. Having Paps back, I think it just shows how dangerous he is too, but for the both of them, it's not just what they do offensively with the ball, I think it's their structure and I guess defensive set-up that they give to us is just so important."

On Marcus Bontempelli

"I think we're obviously pretty different players, I guess the same position, but yeah, pretty different players. The one thing I take from him though is the ability, same as Isaac, to go forward and be really good in the air and I guess be a damaging threat out there too and he's someone I've watched since I was young and yeah, just love watching and hopefully we can serve it up to him this week."

On Brodie Grundy

"I think he wasn't very happy with the start of his season, I think he mentioned to a few of us and from there he did a lot of work vision-wise and training-wise. I think he did a lot of extra running too to get his fitness base up that started in the pre-season and then he's continued with that, but I think the way he's just able to lock into his process and stay on the job has been the biggest thing at the moment and not let his mind wander during games and kind of think about what each moment needs. That's what he's been doing really well."

On Joel Amartey

"Well, I think if you look at Joel in particular,  I think if you take out the accuracy part of it, he's actually absolutely dominated and having him up there has been really great for us again. I love seeing him compete in the way he does and the way he takes contested marks, the way he crushes packs and like you said, the inside 50 marks has been something we've been lacking probably all year. I think we were 18th for scores per inside 50 for the whole of this year, so I think having him back there has really helped us in that regard."

On the squad mentality

"It's a very big squad mentality at the moment, I think, and I think it started with a couple of weeks ago, that little off-field tune-up with the standards that we kind of made. I think everyone's really buying into that, which is great. You look at Ollie who went back about a month ago maybe down to the twos and his training standards from there has just been huge and the amount of boys he's brought along with him.I think it's helping everyone too, it's helping him and I'm sure he'll be back soon with us as well."

On being taken at pick 30

"I think the main thing that you kind of do compare is you kind of, I'm not sure about anyone else, but I really do compare myself to other people within your draft year and a lot of them actually were mids, like you said, a lot of really good mids in Noah Anderson, Tom Green, Caleb Serong, Luke Jackson, all those. I think, I'm not sure, I hope they'd say the same, I hope they compare to everyone as well. I think it's just the mentality of all the competitors out there, but it's not really a point to prove type thing, it's more I just want to be better than all of them when I can really."