As Club Chief Executive Andrew Ireland says, the Swans are embarking on a new journey towards September and as a record number of fit players hit the pre-season training track, there's a renewed sense of anticipation in the air.
Coach Paul Roos is enjoying the rare luxury of having all the players on the track. "Everyone's training. It's really the first year in the past six or seven years where we've had pretty much everyone out there.
"I think the excitement comes from the players we've brought in, and also with the fact that our training has been a lot further advanced than it ever has before. Our senior players are fitter, they're running really well, and we're seeing good ball work.
"That's probably the most exciting thing, in that we've got a really healthy team going into next year."
Lauded for their forward-thinking recruitment strategy in the 2009 trade and draft periods, the Swans have bolstered their player stocks and received an extra boost with the return of Tadhg Kennelly and the unexpected arrival of Daniel Bradshaw.
"It's been a really important off-season. Tadhg coming back has been really important for the Club, and we'll know about Bradshaw next week (December 15).
"If you're looking at the short term, we've lost some really talented players but we've been able to replace them with some younger, experienced players. So 2010 promises to be another really competitive year."
Despite missing the finals for the first time under Roos' guidance, the Swans finished the 2009 season on a high note, taking several ladder leaders to the wire. In season 2010, says Roos, the new-look Swans side promises to be in the mix.
"It's different, it's going to be a different team. We expect to be competitive, you know, that's the main thing," he said.
"Our best side is going to be very good. It's going to be a real mixture of some exciting, experienced guys with the new players coming in - Seaby, Mumford, Kennedy, McGlynn - and potentially some young players making their debut, so it's a really good mix in terms of age and where we're at as a Club."
