Goodes missed 10 long months of football with a persistent knee injury and has made an inauspicious comeback over the past month.

 

A late cameo against Melbourne in round six and a three-goal haul against the Brisbane Lions were followed by quiet nights against Hawthorn and Essendon, subbed out on both occasions.

 

Having benefited from a further block of training due to the Swans' bye, and heading into the AFL's Indigenous Round, Longmire is backing his veteran superstar to perform strongly against the Cats at the SCG.

 

"There's no doubt your form line isn't always on the upward curve," Longmire said on Monday.

 

"His first two games were pretty good and he's just getting used to the training load and the playing load as well.

 

"He's been able to consistently train well for us over the last few weeks and that turns to good form sooner rather than later.

 

"We know he's a flexible player that can play any role on the ground and we've seen elements of that at training more and more over the last three weeks.

 

"We're confident he'll be able to play a really good game for us."

 

Thursday's game will have a little extra meaning for Goodes, with the Swans running out in a jumper designed by his mother, Lisa Sansbury.

 

The 34-year-old has also found himself thrust right into the centre of the racism issue ever since he was publicly vilified by a Collingwood fan during a game at the MCG last year.

 

The Australian of the Year was then the subject of more racial abuse from the stands in the Swans' victory over Essendon last time out.

 

Always willing to speak his mind, Longmire says performing on the field is also a critical element of Goodes' plans for Indigenous Round.

 

"He's very passionate about his causes and he's willing to say it how it is," Longmire said.

 

"He also understands that his footy this week is a big part of what he wants to do and how he wants to perform.

 

"He's been able to get the balance of what he wants to do on and off the field really well to be honest.

 

"He's been remarkable how he's handled it."

 

Helping Goodes as he strives for form has been the performance of his team, with the Swans stringing a five-game winning streak together that has them right in the fight for the top four.

 

Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett have kicked 14 goals between them in their two games together in red and white and will take to the SCG for the first time as teammates on Thursday.

 

Ben McGlynn will return after missing the Bombers match through illness, with Tom Mitchell also pushing hard for a recall following his stunning 64-possession, four-goal effort in the reserves.

 

Mike Pyke will miss another week, however, with the ruckman taking longer than expected to recover from a hamstring strain.

 

Geelong will welcome back Steve Johnson from suspension, while there remains a question mark around defender Tom Lonergan, who suffered a bout of concussion in last week's win over North Melbourne.

 

Lonergan has an excellent record against Franklin from his Hawthorn days, but Longmire said his side will have its hands full, with or without the decorated Geelong defender.

 

"They've got plenty of good players," he said.

 

"They're not far off being full strength and they've got one of the best defences going around anyway.

 

"Lonergan is a very good player, but they've got others down there that can fill the role I'm sure."

 

Twitter: @AFL_JD