Sydney co-captain Adam Goodes is confident the Swans will continue to defy age and their many doubters and reach a seventh consecutive AFL finals series.

Goodes' rival captains are among many predicting a slide for an ageing Swans outfit with only three skippers tipping them for this season's top eight.

But, as the only club to play finals for the past six years, Sydney are used to such forecasts in a competition whose draft and salary cap policies work against sustained success.

"We're happy to be up in Sydney and away from all the press and the hype, we're happy to just play our games of football and for people to recognise us after we've won a few games," Goodes said.

"That's the way it's always been, people haven't rated us, they don't think too much of the Swans and I'm comfortable with that, I know my teammates are comfortable with that.

"We'll just go about our business up there and win as many games of football as we can and try to make it seven years in a row for a finals campaign."

Goodes acknowledged the side lost some talented senior players in the off-season, most notably ruckman Peter Everitt and Irish running defender Tadhg Kennelly, who shocked the Swans with his late decision to return home.

But he said there were youngsters ready to make a bigger impact and while Kennelly's decision was a blow, the club was well stocked for running defenders.

"We picked up Rhyce Shaw obviously, we have Nick Malceski and Marty Mattner, it was going to be a bit of a problem having the whole four of them in the team," he said.

The dual Brownlow Medallist is primed for a strong season himself, having played all the practice matches.

But he said the main factor behind his confidence of again reaching finals was Sydney's renowned team ethic.

"You can have the most talented group in the competition, but if you don't have that team basis and team structure and will and desire to play for each other then there's no point having all that ability," he said.

"I think that's what we do have in Sydney, we do have that ability to play for the team and that's what I reckon has made us a team that has played so many finals."

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