WITH his future finally sorted, Hayden McLean says he's freed up mentally to attack Friday night's elimination final with Carlton and he has some MCG redemption in his sights.
The Sydney big man has taken his game to a new level in 2023 to nail down a regular spot in the Swans team as a both a strong marking target in attack and reliable ruck option.
But as his reputation enhanced over the course of the season, so too did speculation over his future as he came to the end of his contract.
But a new four-year deal was finally signed at the conclusion of the home and away campaign and that's cleared his head to attack the Blues on Friday night.
"It's probably a perfect time to get it done just before our final. It (contract negotiations) has been going over the last few months and as much as you try not to think about it, it's in the back of your head," McLean told AFL.com.au.
"To know where I'll be for the next part of my life is very much a relief and very exciting times."
The 24-year-old heads back to the MCG for just the second time since being named as a surprise inclusion for last year's Grand Final hammering at the hands of Geelong.
While he kicked a goal, McLean finished with just four possessions on a dark day for the club and he admits that game is on his mind as he gets set for Friday night.
"I think there's a bit of redemption about it," he said.
"Pushing late for a finals campaign and having to win every game for the last couple of months has really put us in a good mindset, though. Knowing that if we lose, we're out and we learned a lot from last year."
McLean, Logan McDonald and Joel Amartey have operated in the enormous shadow cast by Lance Franklin in recent years, but with the legend now having left the building, it's on the new brigade of Swans talls to take charge.
They may have only played four finals between them but coach John Longmire has stated "no-one looks at your birth certificate" in finals, and it's a sentiment McLean agrees with.
"I think we've probably put together a couple of good games together this year and there's no bigger test than a final away against a big team and a big club. I think these are the games where big key forwards have got to step up.
"But there's three of us there and we all share the load, which is another good thing."
The forecast of rain my mitigate the impact the key forwards of both sides can have on the contest but McLean is hopeful the wide expanses of the MCG can assist the Swans' three-pronged tall attack, along with the likes of Isaac Heeney, Tom Papley and Will Hayward.
"We love the MCG. We can probably play different game styles with Logan running up the ground. I can run or play deep, so I think we'll wait and see what they give to us. But we're going to adapt pretty well.
"There is a lot of space out there and it's a bit more one-on-one, which I like."
