THE Brisbane Lions will finish their 2011 season on Saturday afternoon with the difficult assignment of playing the Sydney Swans at the SCG.

Playing south has typically been tricky for the Lions, and it will be a tough assignment this week with the Swans looking to secure a home final.

They are currently seventh, but a win over the Lions and a loss by St Kilda against Carlton later that night would secure a home final for the Swans in week one.

The Lions will be without retired Luke Power and utility Brent Staker, who will need a second knee reconstruction this season after re-injuring his right knee against West Coast.

In round 11 the Lions put in their worst performance of the season, losing by 65 points against the Swans after trailing by 72 at half time.

Forward scout

The club: Sydney Swans

2011 so far: With their usual no-fuss approach, the Swans have made it back to the finals. Not even the departure of coach Paul Roos and captain Brett Kirk (retirement) has slowed them down. After a great first half of the season, they slumped with six losses from eight starts between rounds 13 and 21. But in recent weeks the Swans have been back to their best, defeating a desperate St Kilda and then snapping Geelong's 29-game win streak at Skilled Stadium on Saturday.

The coach: Like his predecessor Roos, John Longmire has adopted a hard-nosed, defensive approach with his team. In his first season at the helm, 'Horse' has slipped in with barely a hiccup. Despite losing the experience of Kirk, Daniel Bradshaw (retired) and Craig Bolton (injured), he has juggled the team and developed a young core that has kept the Swans competitive.

The star: He's 31 years old, but Adam Goodes is still one of the best players in the competition and clearly the Swans' match-winner. The dual Brownlow medallist has had another stellar season drifting between the midfield and the forward line. His work against St Kilda and Geelong in the past fortnight in tight fourth quarters has been sublime and a primary factor for his team's victories. Interestingly, Goodes was born on the same day (January 8, 1980) as retired Lion Luke Power.

The sleeper: Much like young Lions midfielder Tom Rockliff, Swan Josh Kennedy is one of the most under-rated players in the competition, with his hard-nosed ball-hunting a major reason for the Swans' success. The 23-year-old has played every game this season and is fourth in the competition (behind Matthew Boyd, Matthew Priddis and Chris Judd) for contested possessions, fifth for clearances and 15th for tackles.

The young gun: Gary Rohan showed last week against Geelong just why Swans fans are so excited about his game. The No.6 selection in the 2009 Draft kicked a terrific goal against the Cats when he showed blistering pace from half back to sprint clear, take two bounces and then steady and kick truly on the run from 50m. He has played just 15 matches, but is lightning quick and will need to be closely watched.

Strengths: As they have been for so long, the Swans are dynamite at the contested ball and stoppage situations. With Shane Mumford in superb form in the ruck, the likes of Goodes, Kennedy, Kieren Jack, Ryan O'Keefe and Jude Bolton are often getting first use of the ball. The Swans absolutely smashed the Lions at the stoppages when they met earlier this season, and the only way to win in Sydney is to beat them at their own game.

Weaknesses: Although the Swans are great at getting the ball - and denying their opposition scoring chances - they don't always capitalise at the scoring end themselves. Jesse White has found some form and Sam Reid is an exciting prospect at centre half-forward, but the Swans often struggle for avenues to goal. They are ranked just 12th in points for, a mere 31 points in front of the Lions. They have topped 100 points only four times this season.

Michael Whiting covers Brisbane Lions news for afl.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @mike_whiting