SYDNEY Swans co-captain Kieren Jack has backed his younger teammates to relish the occasion in Saturday's qualifying final against Greater Western Sydney.
Most of the talk surrounding the clash at ANZ Stadium has centred on the Giants' lack of September action, but when the teams run out this week the underdogs will field a more experienced side.
Leon Cameron's likely 22 will have played a total of 2392 games between them, with four men having played 200-plus games, two with 150-plus, and just two with fewer than 50 matches in the competition.
The Swans come in with 2388 total games, with four 200-gamers, five having played 150-plus, and six with fewer than 50 senior matches to their name.
Giants veterans Ryan Griffen, Heath Shaw, Steve Johnson, Joel Patfull and Shane Mumford are all more than 30 years old, with Jarrad McVeigh, Heath Grundy and Ben McGlynn flying the flag in the 30-plus category at the Swans.
John Longmire has blooded seven debutants this season, with five a chance to face the Giants, but Jack said players such as NAB AFL Rising Star winner Callum Mills, Aliir Aliir and George Hewett would handle the pressure of their first final.
"It's a little bit of an unknown for those new players, but you keep it (the build up) pretty stock standard," he said.
"You keep the messaging pretty simple with them.
"We finished on top of the ladder for a reason and those players have played pretty well.
"At the end of the day it's a high pressure game, we know that; they'll be exposed to it and it'll be hot early, but we're confident they'll find their way."
Jack said he was as happy as his rookie teammates after missing last year's final series with the knee injury he suffered in the Swans' last game of the year against Gold Coast at the SCG.
"Finals are where your most vivid memories come from," he said.
"When I think back over my career it's finals, and finals wins you remember, so to be amongst it again is exciting.
"With the young group that we've got coming through it's exciting, even though I'm on the older side of the group.
"It's nice to be leading them out there."
The Swans leader was one of a number of teammates on hand at the SCG on Wednesday to see defender Alex Johnson run for the first time in 906 days, following his fifth knee reconstruction earlier this year.
Jack said his 2012 premiership teammate continued to amaze everyone at the club.
"Alex (Johnson) has inspired us with his attitude, the way he comes in gives us energy all the time," he said.
"That's really hard to do for someone in his position, so whenever the players are feeling a bit down, you gain inspiration from what he does when he walks into the footy club.
"He's been through an extraordinary journey and we've witnessed a lot of the lows that he's been through over the past few years.
"To come out here – and he didn't know we were going to turn up – and watch him do a couple of five-minute runs, it was great to see him with a smile on his face.
"It was great for him and great for us to see."
