But probably the greatest test of his temperament in the 2007 AFL season will be fronting up on Saturday against Geelong tagger Max Rooke, who famously claimed the two-time All-Australian's scalp in their round-20 clash at Skilled Stadium last year.
The Cats won by 27 points on that occasion and back on their home turf on Saturday, with seven consecutive victories behind them and holding down top spot, Mark Thompson's men are heavily favoured to further dent Sydney's hopes of getting back into the top eight.
Goodes, who was reported for the first time in his nine-year career and escaped suspension despite pleading guilty to charging Melbourne's Simon Godfrey in round five this season, knows exactly what to expect from Rooke, who returns from a one-week ban.
"We've had a couple of really good duels. Last year they got the win so he took the points," Goodes told AAP this week.
"He's a very hard and tough competitor. I do have the (five-centimetre) height advantage so it could be an opportunity to push forward and hopefully take a few marks and kick a few goals.
"His competitiveness is his biggest asset. His tackling pressure and his body pressure, he is fantastic in that area.
"You certainly know he is around you at the contests. He always knows where your body is.
"He is always bumping into you, he is always trying to get inside you.
"He has made a really good career out of being that aggressive, in-and-under type player.
"You've got to respect the way that he plays his game."
Rooke, a rugged utility from the small town of Casterton in Victoria's south-west, doesn't pretend to be one of the game's superstars.
"He is a great player and I just tried to cut down his effectiveness," the 25-year-old said after his celebrated performance against Goodes last year, which earned Rooke three Brownlow votes.
"He still got a fair bit of the ball (28 possessions to Rooke's 18 touches, nine tackles and one goal) but I don't think he got too many dangerous balls so that was my main aim."
Goodes was awarded one Brownlow vote for the same match and went on to claim the game's biggest individual honour for a second time.
With co-captain Barry Hall missing from Sydney's forward set-up because of a groin injury, Goodes has been named at full-forward, although he expects to spend plenty of time in midfield.
Hall was held goal-less by Matthew Scarlett at Skilled Stadium last year and the Swans will need to unearth a new-look attack in a hurry against the miserly Cats backline.
Swans coach Paul Roos has dropped Heath Grundy and premiership player Adam Schneider, recalling Jarred Moore and debutant young forward Matthew Laidlaw, while small forward Nick Davis is back after missing Sydney's 19-point loss last week against Collingwood with an ankle injury.
Roos described the defeat against Collingwood at Telstra Stadium as Sydney's worst performance in his five-year stint as coach and Thompson is preparing for a backlash from the Swans, who will start as big underdogs on Saturday.
Sitting in 10th place with six wins from 12 rounds, the Swans need their star midfielder back in 2006 form.
"I've been pretty happy with my last month, with my effort and my running. I'm definitely coming back," said Goodes, 27.
"I actually feel like I've come out of where I was and I'm in a better place at the moment," added Goodes, who predicted the Swans might benefit from taking a free-flowing approach.
"We just need to take a few shackles off."
