SINCE deciding to stay with the club that drafted him, Sydney midfielder Chad Warner is confident that the Harbour City has truly become his home.

After knocking back heavy interest from both West Coast and Fremantle to sign a lucrative two-year extension last April, the 25-year-old lifted the lid on exactly what went down behind the scenes.

Asked whether the Swans' flying start to the season validated his decision, Warner admitted the team's strong form only solidifies his feeling that this is where he belongs long-term.

"Having the boys that I've created relationships with for ages is probably the No.1 thing, and it's only getting stronger with them, to be honest," he said.

"I absolutely love coming in every day, and I love the morale that we have. Having a good result each week and winning definitely helps a lot. To be honest, I've never felt more settled here."

Unleashed for the first time this season, Sydney's towering four-pronged forward line spearheaded a 114-point demolition of Richmond last weekend. The Swans slammed home a season-high 25.20 (170), with Charlie Curnow bagging eight majors, Hayden McLean slotting four, and Logan McDonald and Joel Amartey combining for three.

The midfield dominance was just as clinical. 

Isaac Heeney bagged five goals and three score assists, while Warner bounced back from a quiet fortnight by chipping in with three majors and two assists of his own.

"It's great. Having (the talls) up there and creating such a presence is great," Warner said of the forward line.

"It gives you a good bailout (option) if you need to. Sometimes you can't always lace someone out, so it's great to know the option is there and that they provide a great contest - all four of them do. 

"You saw on the weekend the amount of pressure Joel (Amartey) can bring for a big man; it's insane. Every single one of them played a great role in a different aspect of the game."

The towering forward line, bolstered by the return of ruck Brodie Grundy, is a terrifying prospect that creates a tactical nightmare for an undersized defence.

"I hope it's scary," Warner said.

"A lot of teams have good forwards like that, though, whether they play three or four. For us, it just gives us the flexibility to know that it can work. I know it's only worked for one game, so we'll see what happens in the future, but it's more for us rather than anyone else, to be honest."

That selection pressure will only intensify ahead of Sunday's clash against St Kilda, with the Swans poised to welcome back a host of key names.

Skipper Callum Mills is a test after experiencing calf tightness following the game against Geelong, while Malcom Rosas jnr (ankle), Matt Roberts (groin) and Justin McInerney (ankle) are also having their fitness assessed this week. Meanwhile, Grundy is set to return after being rested against Richmond.

"It's going to give 'Coxy' (coach Dean Cox) a few headaches," Warner said. 

"But as you see with teams in the past, that's the stuff that you want. You want the VFL boys underneath, really pressing for spots. It keeps us honest, but it also gives us the chance to play them when we need to and rest players if we need to. 

"That's probably the thing we struggled with last year - not being able to manage players as best as we could. With injuries, we didn't have enough guys ready to go. This year, having that flexibility is so good for players like ‘Millsy' (Mills) and ‘Grunds' (Grundy) on the weekend as well."

Warner praised McLean's resilience, noting that despite a challenging season spent largely in the VFL, the forward never let his head drop and capitalised on his opportunity against the Tigers. 

This depth extends across the entire VFL squad, with multiple players performing well enough to step into the senior side at any moment.

While it is emotionally tough for players like McLean and ruck Peter Ladhams to face potential omission at the selection table, the senior playing group constantly supports them. Warner emphasised that the team makes a conscious effort to reward those on the fringe, using their impactful performances as proof of what can be achieved.