Brisbane had the fab four largely to thank for their three consecutive AFL premierships, for Sydney on Saturday the stingy seven will have a big say in the result of the grand final.

If the Swans are able to shutdown Hawthorn superstars Lance Franklin and Cyril Rioli at the MCG on the weekend, it will go a long way to an upset win.

Sydney All-Australian key defender Ted Richards, who will almost certainly be given the arduous task of stopping Franklin, is counting on the support of Heath Grundy, Alex Johnson and Nick Smith.

But rebounding defenders Nick Malceski, Rhyce Shaw and Marty Mattner will also play their part.

"I'll be needing as much help as I can get ... we all need to support each other, we're not going out there as a defensive group thinking we've got six one-on-ones - it's six on six," Richards said on Thursday.

Sydney boast the most miserly defence in the league, which Richards suggested was a result of the whole team's pressure.

While that is true and the Swans' midfield will need to work hard to limit the quality and quantity of Franklin's delivery, Richards' backline has been indomitable for much of the year.

"We call ourselves the back six, but for some reason there's seven of us," Richards joked.

"We have lunches throughout the week, we socialise together so we're a really tight group.

"There's not one person I think who takes one role and oversees everything. We really like to think we help each other out.

"Alex Johnson's the youngest, but we ask just as much of him as we do Rhyce Shaw, the oldest."

Richards has a fair idea of what to expect when he shoulders up next to Franklin on the weekend.

"It's not something that I haven't done before. I played on him a fair bit this year and last year," Richards said.

"But in saying that, I'm fully aware of what he's capable of. He's a gun player."

The last time the two giants came together was round 22 at the SCG, when Franklin returned from injury and the Hawks kicked six goals in the space of 10 minutes to turn the game on its head in the second term.

Franklin was quiet early but came to life, as he so often does, booting three of those six majors.

The Swans held a closed training session at the SCG on Thursday prior to leaving for Melbourne, but Richards said he was a certain starter despite rolling his ankle in last Friday's preliminary final.