LESS than a year after he felt his AFL career was on the scrapheap,Luke Brennan will run out alongside his childhood hero on Saturdaynight.

The former Hawk will make his first senior appearance for Sydneyagainst Richmond at the SCG and play for the first time beside fellow Horshamproduct Adam Goodes.

Brennan, five years Goodes' junior, never had the opportunity to playalongside the dual Brownlow Medallist during their younger days in countryVictoria and was obviously chuffed to be doing it now.

"He is from Horsham as well and I have an older sister who was in thesame year as him at school," Brennan said on Friday.

"I looked up to him as a kid actually and it is nice to finally get thechance to play with him."

At the end of last season such thoughts would have seemed fanciful forBrennan.

He had just been cut by Hawthorn after 19 matches in three seasons andwas dogged by knee tendonitis.

"A few times last year when they said I wasn't needed at Hawthorn Ithought that might have been it," Brennan said.

"But luckily Sydney saw enough in me to give me another chance, which Iam very grateful for."

In reality, Brennan was fortunate just to make it through the day thathe was picked up in the rookie draft by the Swans.

"On draft day last year I wrote off my car the morning of the draft; itwas a bit of a roller-coaster ride so I spent a bit of time with tow-truckdrivers," he said.

"I didn't know if I was going to be staying in Melbourne or playinganywhere. I knew Sydney showed a little bit of interest but I didn't knowwhether I was going to move or anything like that.

"I got run up from behind from a car and got wedged under a recyclingtruck, which was not too pleasant ... but the day worked out all right, which wasnice."

The No.8 pick overall in the 2002 NAB AFL National Draft credited the Sydneymedical staff, who have helped Michael O'Loughlin's recovery from kneetendonitis, with greatly aiding his recovery.

"I think I have finally got my body right and I think the medical staffhave looked after me a lot better since I have been here," he said.

He felt his timing couldn't be better, being picked for theeighth-placed Swans (8-8) as they try to engineer another strong last-seasonsurge.

Brennan was pleased he was taking on the bottom-placed Tigers first-up,having enjoyed a strong game in his last outing against the men from Punt Roadin round 12 last year.

The utility booted two goals as the Hawks snapped a six-match losingstreak in Launceston.

"It was actually a nice game to come in against Richmond knowing that Ihave played a few times beforehand, so it is not quite as daunting," hesaid.

He felt at just 22 he still had plenty to offer.

"It is nice to know that I am still only young. It is good for myconfidence that I have a lot of football years left in me.

"As long as I can get my body right and get some confidence there, Iwill be good to go."