Sydney Swans fans watching their heroes’ on the field can tell the team is a close-knit unit. But few AFL clubs' coaching staff can boast a similar unity.

The newest member of the Swans' coaching staff, John Blakey, says the fact he played with the men he shares the coach's box with this season made the decision to move from the Brisbane Lions much easier.

Blakey, who played 359 matches with Fitzroy and North Melbourne, not only played a large chunk of his career with coach Paul Roos but also with fellow assistants John Longmire and Brett Allison.

"The move, as far as, I've been concerned has been pretty easy," Blakey said. "I've settled in very quickly. I knew all the guys I'd be coaching with, having played with all of them and I knew the quality of the people that they were.

"When the position became available, ‘Roosy’ approached me to see if I was interested. For my own education, and I guess, for my own progression as a coach, I thought ‘What better learning curve than to come to the side that’s right on top of their game?’."

Blakey said his biggest challenge upon arriving was learning the Swans game plan. While familiar with the way his former teammate went about his football, after four years working with the Matthews-led Lions - the first of which included Brisbane's 2003 Grand Final success – coming to Sydney has introduced him to a new style of play.

"They're two very good coaches, two premiership coaches, so there are similarities between them in that they're both very driven people," Blakey said. "But they certainly have much different philosophies on football."

This season Blakey will be in charge of the Swans' forward line, meaning he will be working with one of the most mouth-watering attacks in the competition.

Names such as Barry Hall, Michael O'Loughlin, Ryan O'Keefe, Adam Schneider and Nick Davis give opposition coaches headaches and it will be Blakey's task to ensure they fire together.

"My challenge, and Sydney's challenge, is to make sure we're a cohesive unit," he said. "It's not difficult … the challenge is to make sure they all stick to their role, but they're very good at following team rules.

"Once we start going away from team rules, that's when we start getting into trouble. With us, it's not about who kicks the goals, or how many goals any individual kicks, we don't care who kicks them."

It is this unselfish 'Bloods' ethos that has served the Swans so well in recent seasons. And it has impressed Blakey, one of the more experienced men in the game.

"The leadership model that's been spoken about widely, from afar you think 'Oh, yeah', but it really is a very strong leadership group," Blakey said. "It is a very strong model where everybody gets to have a say and the players really do take a lot of responsibility for what happens at the club.

"It is a very healthy environment, everyone has their input and it's really quite refreshing."