SYDNEY Swans coach John Longmire acknowledged that his team faces a tough task against Melbourne in the opening round of the season proper with the Swans set to take the field without a number of their best players.

A knee injury to rebounding defender Nick Malceski is the latest in a long list of setbacks for the Swans this pre-season.

The club's defence has been hit particularly hard, with veteran Craig Bolton restricted in his training because of a long-standing achilles complaint and young defender Campbell Heath having LARS surgery after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee for a second time.

Key defender Lewis Roberts-Thomson, who had surgery on his sciatic nerve, has also endured an interrupted pre-season, as have Tadhg Kennelly (knee) and former West Coast Eagles backman Matt Spangher (quad).

Longmire conceded there were question marks over the availability of Kennelly, Bolton, Spangher and Roberts-Thomson for the club's season opener against Melbourne, saying it was unlikely the club would risk playing three or four underdone players in the same team.

"We can't afford to bring all three back at the one time, so we'll have to stagger those players as they come back," Longmire said.

"Round one is not the be all and end all in regards to having those players fit. They need to be fit for the majority of the year, so that's foremost in our mind."

The Swans will welcome back three experienced players for the NAB Challenge clash with Gold Coast at Southport on Saturday.

Ruckman Shane Mumford (knee), Jesse White (ankle) and Nick Smith (knee) will play their first games of the pre-season competition, while Martin Mattner, Rhyce Shaw and Trent Dennis-Lane will all be rested.

Full-forward Daniel Bradshaw (knee) has also been on a modified training program over the summer months, but is expected to play in the club's last NAB Challenge game next weekend.

Shane Mumford is a $332,000 ruckman in the Toyota AFL Dream Team competition.