Sydney aren't rated much of a flag chance in 2023 but premiership defender Alex Johnson believes the club's recovery from last year's grand final indicates they are a dark horse.
The Swans face Carlton in an elimination final at the MCG on Friday night - keen to banish the memory of last year's 81-point loss to Geelong in the grand final.
Johnson, a 2012 premiership player with the Swans, feels Sydney's young talent has bounced back from 2022's pain and the return of some old heads has the club primed in the coming finals series.
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"I think what the Swans have done is incredible," Johnson told Heath Shaw on Whereabouts with Heater.
"They have defied all the odds to get flogged by close to 100 points in that grand final against Geelong last year and then make finals this year. It's been really impressive.
"I thought it would have affected the young kids more than it has. I think you have guys that have come on. Chad Warner was effectively best on ground in a losing grand final side. Errol Gulden, Braeden Campbell, and Tom McCartin has become a real solid defender."
Johnson won a premiership in his second year with the Bloods before only playing 47 games for the club in seven years as he was struck down by six knee reconstructions.
The 31-year-old is well aware of how important senior players are to a premiership campaign and he believes Sydney's form in winning close games mirrors Collingwood's results through the early part of the season.
He also feels anything is possible for Sydney after the Bulldogs made a run from seventh to win the premiership in 2016 - ironically against the Swans.
"Having the senior guys back playing helps a lot," he said. "Dane Rampe was out earlier in the season. Luke Parker is still running around - someone I got drafted with. "
"I think they are starting to believe and they are winning the close games also. To win those close games is a massive thing. It's what Collingwood was doing earlier in the year and they have dropped away from that. It will be interesting to see how far Sydney can go.
"Winning becomes a habit and holding on in close games, you can't just learn overnight. It happens off the back of a process and off the back of a system.
"It can take one or two weeks - I mean you look at what the Bulldogs did in 2016. Got together and what they achieved was pretty special. Went from six-or-seventh on the ladder to going the whole way - albeit against us in that final."
Sydney take on a resurgent Blues outfit that looked like out of the finals race through mid-season, before winning nine of their last 10 games to skyrocket into premiership contention with a fifth-placed ladder finish.
