Click here to watch CTV's Week One Finals Feature with Geoff Walsh

Chief of football Geoff Walsh spoke to CTV about the club’s upcoming finals opponent and selection for this Saturday night.

In his first September campaign at Collingwood, Walsh accepts the Swans will be as tough to overcome as any side at this time of the year.

“I think everyone’s very excited. To be back in September action is great,” Walsh said at the Lexus Centre on Thursday afternoon shortly after the teams were released.

“I know that everyone from the players through to the coaching staff are full of anticipation because the Swans are going to be great opposition, we know that. They’re a bit of a measuring stick, no better opposition.”

Collingwood welcomes back three players from injury in Josh Fraser, Alan Didak and Sean Rusling, and while these inclusions will no doubt aid Collingwood’s chances, Walsh conceded the three omissions in Rhyce Shaw, Ben Reid and Chris Bryan are "unlucky".

“The boys going out are pretty stiff, because each of them have made a pretty healthy contribution over the last few weeks. Ben coming in as a last-minute replacement last week, and I think did particularly well.

“They can all consider themselves unlucky, but the calibre of Rusling, Didak and Fraser, there’s no doubt that those three boys strengthen the side, with all due respect to the boys going out, but they’re three quality players.”

With the team announced, it is now well and truly time for the side to focus on winning the club’s first September encounter since the preliminary final triumph of 2003.

It will be a tough assignment against a seasoned finals opponent in Sydney, even though the Magpies have succeeded in both meetings between the teams in season 2007.

“They (the Swans) have been there on the last day in the last few years. They’re absolutely quality opposition. Hall coming back in gives them further strike power in what is already a potent forward line.

“Luke Ablett spent some time on Bucks in his first game back. I’m sure they’ll miss Luke as well because he’s a good close-checking player.”

“Our performances against the Swans on the last couple of occasions suggests there’s not much in it. I think their style of play is something we can adapt to pretty well, but having said that they’re a finals-like side so we’ll know we’ll be in the hunt.”

Walsh also acknowledged that Collingwood, despite having had the better of the Swans in recent times, will have to respect Sydney’s recent finals history, and lift accordingly.  

“There’s no doubt they’ll go up a cog, Sydney. They have so many players that are used to playing finals footy. We’ll have a number of boys who were there last year, albeit briefly, but we’ll also have a number of boys who are playing in their first finals campaign.

“We’ll need to step up to the mark, and I’m confident we will, because our performances throughout the year say that in the tight games when there’s been plenty of pressure applied, on most occasions we’ve come through.”