LANCE FRANKLIN
The Swans' wisdom was questioned when they signed 'Buddy' to a 10-year, $9 million deal, but it was not long before the superstar forward justified his price tag. Franklin's match-winning ability was on show last season, most notably against Port Adelaide in round 13. Two stunning long-range goals in the fourth quarter at the SCG got the Swans over the line, and he backed that effort up against Richmond at the MCG one week later, proving the difference with another pair of goals in the final term. Franklin averaged four goals in wins and two goals in losses, highlighting his importance. He ranked No.1 in the competition for goals and scoreboard impact last year, and across the past three seasons he ranks No.1 for score involvements. Two areas of Franklin's game that have improved in Sydney are his defensive pressure and contested marking – he averaged three tackles a game in 2014 and took 61 contested grabs, ranked No.5 in the AFL.
Key 2014 stats: 19 games, ranked No.1 in the AFL for goals in the home-and-away season (67) and No.1 at the Swans for contested marks (51) and marks inside 50 (76).

LUKE PARKER
As a pure midfielder, Josh Kennedy would shade Parker for importance right now, but Parker is more than just a midfielder. The trait that separates him from other onballers is his ability to push forward and have an impact regularly. Last year he ranked No.3 in the competition for groundball-gets won in the forward half and he booted 21 goals in the home-and-away rounds. He is not only dangerous at ground level, he ranked No.3 among midfielders for contested marks and knows how to position himself cleverly when pushing forward. Defensively, he was also elite, ranking in the top 10 in the AFL for both tackles and pressure acts. At 22, he is the reigning club best and fairest winner and on the rise, making him an important part of the Swans' long-term future.
Key 2014 stats: 22 games, ranked No.1 at the Swans for tackles (151), No.2 for clearances (4.8 a game) and No.4 for goals (21).