OUTGOING Sydney boss Andrew Ireland has declared the Swans are armed for pursuit of a big-name player at season's end.

Ireland, who this week was appointed to the board of Sport Australia, will remain on the Swans board this year as Tom Harley takes the reins as chief executive. 

Having landed Lance Franklin at the end of 2013, with the luring process begun more than 12 months earlier, Ireland believes the Swans have the capacity to go again.

Room to move in the salary cap has only been assisted after freeing up Dan Hannebery's heavy contract, Gary Rohan's switch to Geelong and the retirement of Kurt Tippett.

CLUB LISTS COMPARED Oldest? Youngest? Most experienced?

"I think there's always opportunities and the club will be looking to improve the list as well as it can," Ireland told Macquarie Sports Radio.

"The fact we've got we've got a bit younger, the fact that Dan's left and Kurt's retired and the like probably gives the club a bit of an opportunity to look around for that top-end talent if it wants to do that.

I don't know that you'd say there's a war chest there, but I think there's an opportunity if the club decided to look at something at the top end that it could probably do that now."

Hannebery departed for St Kilda at season's end, taking with him the final three years of a five-year deal worth in excess of $750,000 a season.

Gary Rohan had two years remaining on his deal before he returned home to Victoria, while veteran Jarrad McVeigh is expected to retire at season's end, opening more breathing space.

Key Swans set to fall out of contract include ruckman Callum Sinclair, speedster Zak Jones and reliable defender Nick Smith.