FANCIED St Kilda will swap the froth and bubble of their pre-season triumph for the serious stuff on Saturday when they start their AFL campaign against a Sydney side confident it can again prove the sceptics wrong.

While the Saints have been installed as second favourites for the flag behind Geelong by most betting institutions, the Swans are among the middle-rankers.

The Saints bolstered their list by adding a quartet of hardened premiership players in ruckmen Steven King and Michael Gardiner plus Charlie Gardiner and former Swan Adam Schneider, who between them have played 471 premiership games.

Conversely, the Swans opted to spice up their established list with a posse of youngsters including debutant Craig Bird and the trio of Kieren Jack, Heath Grundy and Jarred Moore, who between them have logged only 25 premiership appearances.

Swans co-captain and fullback Leo Barry was adamant his team would again be among the contenders, despite suffering their earliest finals elimination in several years last season.

"We're still extremely confident we can be a really good outfit this year," Barry said, ahead of Saturday's game against the Saints at Telstra Dome.

"Outside the club we've been criticised, but that's something we've been accustomed to over the last four or five years.

"We still feel we've got a really good core group of players that if fit, can have a really good tilt at the season.

"Hopefully we can get a better start to the season and not be chasing the rest of the group by the end of the year.

"I think the way we got bailed out of the finals last year and having a different pre-season and changing a few staff and a few players, it was all about rejuvenating our list and getting our hunger back.

"Certainly, once we step on the field on Saturday night, it will be a real indication where we are at."

Barry said the injection of Bird, Jack and Moore would give Sydney more hard-running midfielders.

"It's important that our core group stands up and plays extremely well, the improvement in our side will come from these young guys," Barry said.

He anticipated once again getting the job on Fraser Gehrig and was interested to see what shape the Saints full-forward would be in.

"It's always a big challenge for myself, he's missed a little bit of footy over the last three or four weeks, so it'll be interesting to see how he turns up," Barry said.

"They've got a lot of power forwards, Gehrig and Nick Riewoldt, but I think generally the delivery to them determines how we go, so it's crucial through the midfield and whoever wins that battle will determine the victory.

"They've already shown they've been a really good team, they probably haven't played their best side in the NAB Cup."

Barry anticipated some mischievous text messaging between the Swans and former team-mate Schneider, who played 98 games for Sydney, including their 2005 premiership win.

"He was a great player for us and he's moved on to another club and hopefully he gets his opportunity there," Barry said.

"There's definitely no love lost, we'll be out to make sure he doesn't have a good game.

"I'm sure there will be a few (texts) flying around by the end of the week.

"Schneids is a bit of a character, he's always been a bit of a stirrer."