The NEAFL Swans have gained 289 games of AFL experience in one hit with former skipper Jarrad McVeigh named for Friday's blockbuster against Sydney Uni.

McVeigh, who has spent more than a month on the sidelines with a strained calf, will use the Round 13 encounter against the Students at the SCG as a springboard towards a senior recall.

Development coach Rhyce Shaw, a premiership teammate of McVeigh's, will be more than happy to have him too as his side aims for its 10th straight win of the season and to put breathing space between itself (1st) and Sydney Uni (2nd) at the top of the table.

It's a rare appearance at the lower level for McVeigh. Once an automatic selection, the 33-year-old's body has failed him this season with recurring soft-tissue injuries restricting him to just two games to date and forcing the Match Committee's hand to ease him back through the reserves for the first time since 2005.

Senior coach John Longmire is confident McVeigh's luck will change once he's put a solid block of football together in the twos.

"Hopefully we'll get him through a good patch in the reserves to make sure he's nice and confident to be able to play senior footy," Longmire told SwansTV.

McVeigh's addition is an added boost to a list laden with AFL-listed talent but which also has their fair share of injury concerns to important players, its big man department especially, with ruckmen Kurt Tippett (ankle) and Darcy Cameron (shoulder) as well as key defender Aliir Aliir (knee) all missing from the line-up.

Shortening them even more is the selection of Lewis Melican for Friday night's AFL clash against Essendon.

Toby Pink is expected to give QBE Sydney Swans Academy top-up Liam Maze a chop-out in the ruck as well as provide a target across half-forward while 185cm James Rose moves to full-forward.

Rose was one of 12 goal-kickers who hit the scoreboard in the clubs' last meeting, back in Round 8, on a wet and soggy night at Marrickville's Henson Park.

Sydney was too strong under the floodlights, recording an emphatic 67-point win and in doing so claiming top spot on the ladder.

There's no rain expected on Friday, meaning a dry deck, a dry footy and a much different contest this time around.

On the back of three-straight wins, Sydney Uni have stayed in touch with top spot and pose a serious threat to Shaw and co's grip on the competition.

History is on Sydney's side, however, having won its last three encounters against the Students.

Ollie Florent, 26 disposals and four goals last week, is a huge loss but Shaw will gain Harry Marsh and Shaun Edwards (pending a late out) after travelling with last week's AFL side. The pair will add much needed zip through the middle and off the half-back which went a long way to dismantling the Students last time.

Gates at the SCG will open at 4.05pm in time to catch the curtain-raiser's 4.10pm opening bounce.

NEAFL Round 13 - Sydney Swans v Sydney Uni
Sydney Cricket Ground, Moore Park
Friday, June 23 @ 4.10pm