Finals-chasing Sydney face a potential stumbling block in a rare MCG assignment against Melbourne on Sunday before heading into a horror stretch that could determine their AFL season.

Sydney, who have already won four away games this season, including two in Melbourne, haven't played the Demons at the MCG for four years.

Sunday's clash looms as a must-win game for the Swans, whose following four fixtures are against fellow finals aspirants Geelong, Hawthorn, Fremantle and Western Bulldogs.

"Regardless of the games we've got to come after, this is a big one for us and every team is going to be tough," Swans coach Paul Roos said.

"I think they (Melbourne) have got some really good young talent."

The Demons have lost their last five clashes with the Swans, though the last three were all at Manuka Oval.

Melbourne have won just one of their last seven games, but Roos still had plenty of respect for the emerging Demons.

"They are a momentum team and they can score quickly in bunches as we saw last week when they scored seven goals in a row against Fremantle," Roos said.

Melbourne coach Dean Bailey emphasised the importance of his team making a good start against the Swans.

Slow starts have been an unwelcome trait of Melbourne's 2010 campaign and just last week they gave the Dockers a 31-point start by the first break.

"Starts are important and we need to get on with it to ensure it is a real arm wrestle at the start of the game," Bailey said on the Demons' website.

Both Sydney and Melbourne have made just one change from last week.

Midfielder-forward Addam Maric will play his first match of the season after being promoted at the expense of Matthew Bate.

Sydney replaced the injured Nick Smith with the livewire rookie Lewis Jetta.

The speedy 21-year-old will be looking for his first career goal after tallying 15 behinds in his first 12 senior appearances.

Roos said his forward line was likely to line up in a similar formation to last week against Carlton with Rhyce Shaw possibly starting again at full-forward and Adam Goodes expected to begin in the midfield before moving forward.

It will be a special day for tenacious midfielder Jude Bolton, who will tally his 250th game in Sydney colours.

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