HE IS from rugby league royalty but Paul Roos is tipping Kieren Jack to rule the Swans’ future midfield after Saturday night’s 62-point win over West Coast at ANZ stadium.

The Swans coach described Jack’s rapid progress from rookie last season to potential regular as “extraordinary” after the 178cm midfielder shutdown his older and more illustrious opponent Daniel Kerr, who cut a dejected figure when taken off for a spell late in the game.

Roos was fulsome in his praise of the down-to-earth midfield tagger.

“Daniel Kerr is one of the best players in the competition and that’s the great thing about Kieren – he’s got an enormous capacity to negate the other player. And he also had some significant touches with kicks at goal,” Roos said.

Kerr ended with just 10 kicks, five handballs and one mark – a modest tally for a rover accustomed to dominating the hard-ball gets and disposals in the midfield engine room.

“In a very short space of time he’s become a really competent AFL player," Roos said.

And Jack even found time to score a goal, and in doing so receiving the plaudits from a beaming Barry Hall.

“What is it now? His fifth or sixth game of footy… it’s an extraordinary achievement,” said Roos of a player who broke into the seniors briefly last season.

Jack, whose mentor is club best and fairest Brett Kirk, was keen to play down his rise as a Swan as well-wishers and family (including his father, Rugby League legend Garry Jack) assembled outside the dressing rooms after the 10-goal win.

“Kerr is a highly respected player but my role today was to subdue him,” the 20-year-old said.

“He’s really good at stoppages so that was something we really worked on during the week, but he’s also really good at general play. I was really looking forward to it all week.”

And what does he put his form down to?

“Mate, just hard work. Working hard in the pre-season to get my body in the right shape really helped.”

Not that it’s been a chore. Jack describes the code as “having so many challenges and I’m really enjoying it.”

No doubt though Jack snr will be keeping his son’s feet on the ground – as will Roos. Both know the reality of life as a top footballer.

“I’m just taking it one week at a time,” added Jack. “I’m really forward to doing a job on whoever that may be next week.”

Geelong, your midfield has been warned.