"It's going to be a fiery game and it's going to be on".
Sydney young gun Isaac Heeney will play his 50th AFL match on Saturday night but has already featured in six cross-town derbies.
Heeney therefore has a clear idea of what to expect when the in-form Swans tackle second-placed Greater Western Sydney at Spotless Stadium.
The two sides are generally fiercely competitive but nothing seems to bring that trait out more than when they clash.
"There's going to be some seriously contested footy. We're excited and we're ready for it," said Heeney, who was headbutted by Toby Greene during the most-recent derby.
"It's going to be a fiery game and it's going to be on," he told AAP.
"They are our rivals.
"They're a quality side. It's going to be hard to stop them but we've performed well during the last month or so. We'll go out there and be confident we can get the win."
Sydney have rocketed up the ladder to eighth from 18th, a position they held after opening the year with six straight losses.
The Swans have won eight of their past nine games.
There are many reasons for such a dramatic turnaround but John Longmire's men have lifted their attack on the ball.
Even when play has stopped or is yet to start, they've clearly been more combative and aggressive.
The match review panel has charged or assessed a fired-up Swan's actions after seven of their past nine clashes.
"Every team at this level wants to push the boundaries to a point," Heeney said.
"We just want to go in and be as hard as we can - whether that's being fiery and not stepping over the line or winning contested footy.
"We want to ... hit every team hard with our contested footy. If we win that, it goes a long way to winning a game.
GWS coach Leon Cameron acknowledged earlier this week there was no love lost between the teams, while midfielder Dylan Shiel expected Sydney to physically target some teammates.
"It's something we've spoken about," Shiel said on Wednesday.
"They're definitely going to be cracking in pretty hard."
Skipper Josh Kennedy looms as a trump card at the stoppages for Sydney if he returns from a tight quad.
"He's a gun. He leads by example, so does Luke Parker," Heeney said.
"Those two crashing in is a pretty special combo."
Heeney, who made a delayed start to the season because of glandular fever, noted both he and his side still had plenty of room for improvement.
Share
