SYDNEY'S midfield brigade will relish taking on Essendon's speedy opponents in Saturday's elimination final at the SCG and just like he has all season, Luke Parker will be leading the charge.
Parker, the onball brute who will play his 150th game when he runs out against the Bombers, had the sixth most clearances in the League this season, topped the Swans for tackles, and is one of the keys to his team's revival after they started the season with six straight losses.
The 2016 Brownlow Medal runner-up has won 142 clearances this year with captain Josh Kennedy (132) next best, the pair helping the Swans win 14 of their last 16 games heading into the finals.
Essendon’s best chance of ending the home side's run on Saturday will be getting more supply to its outside runners, as it did in round 14 when it piled on seven straight goals against the Swans, before capitulating to lose the match after the siren.
Parker said on Thursday that he can see why the match is being billed as the Swans' contested style versus Essendon's pace, but there's a reason John Longmire's men have been tough to beat since round six.
"We got back to being a hard, inside contested team, and that’s what we're about," he said.
"That's what's been standing up so we look forward to challenging teams that are more (known for) that uncontested outside run.
"It's always great to win the clearances and win it at the contest but we have an 18-man defence and attack, and everyone is involved at all times.
"That's the way we like play our football so we're not just leaving it up to a couple of guys to win us the game.
"That's what we were doing early in the year and it wasn't working."
Sydney coach John Longmire and his players have gone back over to their previous encounter against Essendon in the lead up to the elimination showdown, and Parker said it's clear what can happen to the Swans if they allow the visitors too much space.
"We know they're a really skilled side and they can score really quickly," he said.
"They're a fast team and if you give them a window of opportunity they can easily kick a few goals (in a row).
"For us it's about bringing our pressure and the mindset that we have for the second half of the year."
Parker agreed that the Bombers' players would be on a high after emerging from one of the club's darkest periods to seal their first finals berth since 2014, but he doesn't think the Essendon supplements saga will bring them any added motivation when the ball is bounced this weekend.
"It's exciting for their club, they’ve got their story that they're trying to tell, and we've got ours," he said.
"I think everyone has reasons to wind themselves up for games so I don't think that will come into it."
