SYDNEY has learned to give Grand Final week the "respect it deserves" and lean into the festivities after trying to treat the 2022 decider like any other game, with midfielder James Rowbottom confident that a new approach has the team better prepared this year.
The Swans embraced the Grand Final parade on Friday and have enjoyed a more relaxed build-up to Saturday's decider against Brisbane when compared to the turnaround they faced in 2022 after a Saturday preliminary final.
With the club benefitting from an eight-day break leading into Saturday's decider, a relaxed Rowbottom said he had focused on enjoying the build-up after the 81-point loss to Geelong two years ago.
"The main learning we got was probably the respect for the week and all the things leading up to it like today, the parade, and the stage of tomorrow," Rowbottom said on Friday.
"We tried to treat it as any other game, but you've got to give it the respect it deserves.
"It's good to lean into the week and appreciate the gratitude of what it brings and what it means to a lot of people in Melbourne and the people who travel down.
"A lot of that [2022] group is playing again and we're 50 or so games on together, so we're taking a lot out of that."
Sydney had the longer preparation this year after finishing on top of the ladder, winning last Friday night's preliminary final at home before the Lions played a Saturday twilight clash and travelled home that night.
A better approach to their scheduling all year had also held the club in good stead, Rowbottom said, during the most demanding week of the season.
"It didn't feel as rushed and the group feels a lot better prepared this time around," Rowbottom said.
"It started through the year in preparation, and our structure and scheduling has been of a much higher level.
"Instead of jamming training in and then flying down in the one day, we were able to train, have the rest of the afternoon off, and then just fly down and relax a bit more."
Forward Will Hayward was equally relaxed on Friday when speaking to media, with the goalkicker leaning on his experience in 2022 to handle the build-up better and put his energy into the right areas.
When Saturday comes, however, Hayward said Rowbottom would be the player he was looking for in the Swans' rooms to help him flick the switch and get him focused on the game ahead.
"I love seeing 'Rowey' in the locker room before. He's an absolute warrior and he has this look in his eye before you run out that he's going to get in the trenches for you and go to war," Hayward said.
"So I love seeing him and I'm like, I've got to do the same. He's a great teammate. We're very lucky to have him."
