Co-captain Callum Mills is set for a return to the midfield for the first time since his All-Australian season in 2022, following the alleged sexual assault, which resulted in five Swans, including star on-ballers Isaac Heeney and Chad Warner, being suspended for the remainder of the year.
Sydney will be without Heeney, Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice and James Jordon through suspension, opening the door for Mills to take more midfield responsibility as well as a host of fringe players set to feature in the finals.
The Swans skipper will be hoping to return to his All-Australian best, where he averaged 24.4 disposals, 6.6 marks and 6.3 tackles as a midfielder in 2022.
Having fielded 36 individual players in 2026, the Swans have great depth to cover their lost talent, creating selection headaches for the coaching staff in the upcoming weeks.
The likes of Harry Cunningham, Billy Cootee, Harry Kyle, Angus Sheldrick, Malcolm Rosas, Caiden Cleary, Corey Warner and Lewis Melican are now set for potential selection in the senior side.
Joel Amartey, Hayden McLean, James Rowbottom and Justin McInerney are also on Sydney's injury list, but have not been ruled out of their finals campaign.
The Swans' midfield and defensive depth will be heavily tested come September with All-Australian talent absent from both lines.
Sydney has a double chance in the 2026 AFL finals series, and must make the right calls at selection to maximise their chances of going deep in September.
Matt Roberts and Kyle will have the responsibility of replacing the dashing transition play lost by Blakey and Bice.
Mills, McInerney, Sheldrick and Rowbottom will have increased roles filling the void left by Chad Warner and Heeney.
Jordon has been a prolific tagger for Sydney, playing in every possible match since joining the club in 2024.
Jai Serong will have his hands full as the new primary tagger for the Swans, should they choose to use one in September.
We cast our eye over the challenge Dean Cox and the coaching staff need to make before their first qualifying final.
Defence
With the loss of Blakey and Bice, Roberts should return to his 2025 role off half-back, acting as the main distributor alongside Sam Wicks and first-year talent Kyle, using their speed and precision exiting the defensive 50.
Tom McCartin will lead the Swans' key defenders, alongside Joel Hamling and Lewis Melican, creating a strong trio able to match up with the key forwards of Fremantle and Brisbane.
Dane Rampe and Cunningham will play the roles of lockdown defenders, likely to be matched up on a powerful midfielder resting forward or a talented small forward.
Midfield
With the loss of Heeney and Warner from the midfield, it's time for Sydney to unleash Mills back into the midfield.
After a few injury-riddled seasons, these suspensions have given the captain a perfect opportunity to insert himself into the midfield once again and help his team through the finals campaign.
Alongside Mills will be superstar Errol Gulden and tough-nuts James Rowbottom and Angus Sheldrick, providing an elite mix of offensive and defensive prowess.
Serong, Braeden Campbell and Jake Lloyd will be patrolling the wings, with Serong potentially playing a tagging role depending on the opponent.
Brodie Grundy will play a mammoth role in the Swans' chances, needing an outstanding finals series to help push Sydney through their campaign.
If healthy, Justin McInerney alongside Tom Papley will be an integral part of the midfield group, playing a midfield/forward blend providing relief for the main on-ballers.
Forward
A huge challenge awaits youngster Jesse Dattoli, who burst onto the scene just a fortnight ago, as he will likely play in his first career final in his seventh game as a pressure forward.
First-year player Billy Cootee will also likely feature in September, too, playing as a pressure forward alongside Dattoli.
The pressure has become immense for superstar addition Charlie Curnow, now needing a stellar finals performance for Sydney to have any chance of premiership success.
Alongside Curnow will be Logan McDonald and Hayden McLean giving marking support to Curnow both inside 50 and up the ground.
McLean will also help in the ruck to relieve Grundy from his duties.
The aforementioned Papley and McInerney will play large amounts of forward time while getting up the ground to help set up scoring opportunities.
Emergencies
Joel Amartey will be pushing for selection come finals as he works his way back from a partial Achilles tear that has kept him sidelined since Round 16.
Caiden Cleary has played eight senior games this season, with his strong VFL form putting him in contention for selection in the finals.
After his seven-goal haul against Melbourne in round eight, Malcolm Rosas was barely sighted for the remainder of his games this year, eventually getting dropped from the side, but his potential upside makes him a contender for selection.
Corey Warner also remains a chance, being one of Sydney's best VFL performers all season.
Likely Finals Week 1 squad:
FB: Rampe - McCartin - Melican
HB: Wicks - Hamling - Roberts
C: Serong - Rowbottom - Campbell
HF: Papley - McDonald - McInerney
FF: McLean - Curnow - Dattoli
R: Grundy - Gulden - Mills
IC: Cunningham - Lloyd - Cootee - Kyle - Sheldrick
Reserves: Amartey - Cleary - Co. Warner
