WHEN you kick 12 goals in a quarter in an Opening Round blitz of Carlton, picking out the positives would have been easy, so it says plenty that Justin McInerney's performance was the clear talking point above all others.

The 25-year-old had a career-best outing with 31 disposals and three goals, collecting all 10 coaches' votes in a display that reminded everyone that the Swans' midfield blessings run deeper than just the big three of Errol Gulden, Isaac Heeney and Chad Warner.

There have been glimpses of that kind of outing emerging from McInerney across his 110 games to date, but he put it all together on Thursday night to give reigning premier Brisbane someone else to worry about ahead of their blockbuster SCG clash on Saturday evening.

"His two-way run is as strong as you can get around the competition," Swans coach Dean Cox said.

"So he finished with goals but he has a real appetite to get back and support defence as well first."

"His attention to detail over the summer about improving that aspect of his game and making it a real strength, showed what he could do, and that came out Thursday night," Cox added.

All three of McInerney's goals came in that scintillating third term as he laid the platform personally for the Swans to completely flip the game on its head after a patchy first half.

Cox, however, is mindful that freakish quarters like that are rather rare and therefore it was the defensive aspect of Sydney's turnaround that pleased him the most with the Swans having 29 more tackles than Carlton.

"I think that's something that the playing group really spoke about leading into the start of the season. We've got to get back to putting enormous heat on the opposition. Brisbane is a really high time in possession team," he said.

"They control the ball really well. We need to make sure that the intent is right, right from the outset."

"Seventy-five points in a quarter. I don't think you'll see that again," Cox said.

That third-term display would be concerning enough for the Lions, as is the prospect of taking on Charlie Curnow without one or both of Harris Andrews and Darcy Gardiner as they await their Tribunal outcomes.

The star Swans recruit impressed enough with his three goals but may be ready to go to another level with the hype of an opening fixture against his old team out of the way.

"I think every player when they play their first game, especially against their old club as well, heightens the week," Cox said.

"He's come in refreshed from the weekend, but also ready to attack now what the rest of the season looks like. We'll make sure that we manage him like we would any other player that's played as much footy as he has and get as much training and cohesion with our forward line as we can. He's excited about this week and the different opportunity that presents."

Cox conceded Tom Papley will again be on restricted minutes against Brisbane after playing only 57 per cent of the game against Carlton as he builds towards full fitness.

Veterans Taylor Adams and Harry Cunningham will also build up their training loads and touch in a VFL practice game against Greater Western Sydney on Saturday.

It's a clean bill of health from the Opening Round win for Sydney in a comforting contrast to the heavy injury toll of this time last year.

Brisbane on the other hand may be without three key players in Andrews, Gardiner and Zac Bailey after a narrow loss to the Western Bulldogs but that will not dilute the threat of the two-time reigning premier for the Swans.

"I think what they've shown throughout the last probably four years is that no matter who's in and out of that team, they're as well drilled as any team and understand the way they need to play," Cox said.

"They're not going to change that just for some personnel. Whoever comes into that team, they're really strong with their system and the way they go about things. We've just got to try and nullify that as much as we possibly can."