Sydney co-captain Jarrad McVeigh is set to make an inspirational return for the Swans in their AFL clash with Brisbane on Saturday.

The grieving midfielder missed last weekend's upset victory over Geelong as he and his wife Clementine mourned the death of their four-week-old baby Leulla.

The Swans dedicated that 15.9 (99) to 12.14 (86) victory to McVeigh and his family, and they will welcome him back with open arms against the Lions as the only change to the winning squad.

Swans coach John Longmire revealed on Thursday McVeigh had phoned him to let him know of his availability for the SCG match, with the coach having no hesitation to bring in the 26-year-old at the expense of fellow midfielder Brett Meredith.

"Jarrad called me yesterday and said he was keen to play and so he came in today and came into the team meeting in the morning, and then trained, and trained really well and looked pretty sharp," Longmire said.

"We all know how tough it has been for him but he appreciated coming back into the club and getting out on the training track and focusing on Brisbane this week.

"He trained well so he'll definitely play this week and it's great to have him back in the team.

"He'll focus on what he can do and he's been very good at that in the past."

The Swans must beat Brisbane to give themselves a chance to play a home final in week one of the finals series, with a loss ensuring they'll travel south to face St Kilda.

The match will also be a milestone for Swans duo Dan Hannebery and Nicholas Smith, who will play their 50th games in the top grade.

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