Harris Andrews admits it'd be nice to finally play alongside Tom Doedee after watching the luckless Brisbane Lions recruit smile through nearly two years of injury setbacks.
The defender is among the options to replace concussed Ryan Lester for Saturday's Gabba clash with Sydney.
The 28-year-old arrived in Brisbane from Adelaide in late 2023 while rehabilitating from a knee reconstruction.
He then required a second round of surgery after re-injuring his knee on the eve of what would have been his Lions' AFL debut in March last year.
Doedee's last AFL game was for the Crows against Gold Coast in June 2023 and the rebounding defender has tread a cautious, patient path that's included 12 VFL games this season.
Andrews, who has relished his backline partnership with the evergreen Lester, said Doedee was due some reward for his efforts.
"Tough ride; he's been so unfortunate with some of the setbacks," the co-captain said.
"The resilience, the grit, the ability to sort of get on with life.
"His body has let him down at times ... but the way he turns up to the club every day with a real energy and vibe.
"It'd be great to get him out there on the field with us."
Coach Chris Fagan could instead choose to retain Bruce Reville in his defence after the razor-sharp kick's impressive shift as Lester's in-game replacement against Collingwood on Saturday.
Tall defender Darragh Joyce is another VFL talent with AFL experience while there are a number of smaller defenders queuing for a shot against a Swans team missing key forwards Logan McDonald and Joel Amartey.
The Lions remained in third position thanks to their statement victory over the Magpies at the MCG.
It followed impressive road wins against Hawthorn and Geelong this season in what were much-hyped games.
But the reigning premiers have struggled against unlikely opponents, a draw against North Melbourne and loss to Melbourne after being run down at the Gabba chief among them.
The Swans, who Brisbane destroyed in last year's grand final, are 10th and out of finals contention despite being 6-2 in their last eight games.
With a top-four finish on the line, Andrews knows they can't afford another slip-up.
"It's on us to make sure we're on edge," he said.
