SYDNEY Swans' depth of rucking options has aroused opposition interest in out-of-contract ruckman Toby Nankervis. 

Several clubs are understood to be monitoring the 21-year-old, who was pick No.35 in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft as they scour the country for quality ruckmen to add to their list.  

With Kurt Tippett sidelined following hamstring surgery, the Sydney Swans have preferred Sam Naismith in tandem with Callum Sinclair in the past fortnight, leaving Nankervis to play in the NEAFL.

He kicked one goal last week and was listed among the best in the 97-point win over Canberra and will line up against Gold Coast this week.

Nankervis was All Australian at Under-18 level at Tasmanian and has been a solid performer for the Sydney Swans in the NEAFL taking 41 marks for the season.

Capable of playing forward – he kicked six goals and took 11 marks against Canberra in round seven – he is a bustling type of ruckman in the Shane Mumford mould.

The Swans extended Naismith's contract last season tying him to the club until 2018, recruited Sinclair on a four-year deal during last season's trade period and extended Tippett's contract until 2018 after he satisfied trigger clauses.

Swans coach John Longmire told Triple M last Friday it was his preference for the club's rucking stocks to run deep.

"I don't think you can have too many ruckmen on your list. It's such a tough job to do throughout the course of the season and you need to have a few," Longmire said.

"It's proven year after year that you need to have a number of ruckmen that can play senior footy and a couple developing in your reserves, and we have got a number of ruckmen on our list."

Nankervis is one of several ruckmen who remain unsigned going into the back half of 2016 along with Geelong's Nathan Vardy, Gold Coast's Tom Nicholls, Collingwood's Jarrod Witts, Greater Western Sydney's Tom Downie, North Melbourne's Majak Daw and Fremantle's Zac Clarke. 

Several clubs including Richmond, North Melbourne, Essendon, the Brisbane Lions and Melbourne are understood to be in the market for a ruckman.

The Sydney Swans are yet to lock away young midfielders Tom Mitchell and Jake Lloyd who have been consistent performers for several seasons.