SYDNEY is confident gun small forward Tom Papley will be ready to take on Carlton in Opening Round after a disrupted pre-season, with the Swans gearing up for the huge season-starting clash.

Papley has had an interrupted summer campaign and dealt with a calf issue, with the 29-year-old working through a modified program.

The Swans are just over four weeks from starting their campaign on March 5 against the Blues at the SCG and will take on the Western Bulldogs on February 19 and then Greater Western Sydney on February 26 as warm-up games. 

Swans coach Dean Cox told AFL.com.au that Papley was building his training and the club is preparing for him to be ready to tackle the Blues. 

"At this stage, yes [we're confident of that]," Cox said. 

"We'll want to get some minutes into Tom. One thing most people know is you don't take injured players in early, so he's doing some decent kilometres each week and he'll build back in. 

"He trained [on Friday], did some ball work stuff and when you get into matchplay you have to build them in as much as you possibly can without exposing them too early. Over the next couple of weeks (we will) really ramp that up." 

The 196-gamer Papley was one of many key Swans curtailed by injury last season, with heel and hamstring issues restricting him to 11 games.

The Swans look in good health as they enter what Cox describes as the "awkward period where you really hold your breath" in pre-season match play, with the club carefully managing the loads of captain Callum Mills and vice-captain Isaac Heeney. 

Both took part in significant blocks of the Swans' main match simulation on Friday, with Heeney having a slight niggle in December and the club mindful of his importance to its hopes.

"He had a little tight hamstring midway through December, did all his Christmas program and he's been reluctantly running laps," Cox said of the Swans' matchwinner. 

"But the thing with him is he's had a massive couple of years and he came into handball games about 10 days ago and it was like he hadn't left. It's just about making sure we give him enough of a load knowing the workload he has throughout the year."

Brodie Grundy and Joel Amartey were unable to train last week as they worked through their concussion protocols, while midfielder Taylor Adams returned to the club midweek after being knocked unconscious and being allegedly assaulted days earlier. 

Adams will miss the start of the season with an Achilles injury he was already dealing with.

"Taylor's OK. Obviously on Sunday and Monday (after the incident) he was a little bit worse for wear. His approach through the last year has been as positive as he possibly can be through some trying times, whether that be that on or off field," Cox said.

"He's a very mentally tough person who wants honest feedback every time. That's what I love about it – 'Just tell me what it is and that's what's happening'. He trained on Wednesday, he's going through the protocols to make sure his head's right first and will then try get his Achilles right."

Subscribe to the Your Coach podcast to listen to Cal Twomey's full interview with Sydney coach Dean Cox this week.