“He’s an integral part of our team”: Swans legend confident emerging guns will stay at Sydney

Premiership hero and current board member Leo Barry is positive that Logan McDonald will extend his stay with Sydney.

McDonald, 22, is currently contracted until the end of 2024, however Barry assured Swans fans that there is a strong belief that the young gun will not explore possible options back home in Western Australia or in Victoria.

Despite McDonald having a recent quiet patch with two goals in his last four games, Barry feels the Pick 4 from the 2020 draft is still a very highly rated player at the Swans.

“I know the club has a really high regard for Logan,” Barry said on SEN’s Sportsday WA.

“He's improving his game, still learning his craft.

“It can be a bit difficult being the key forward that he is, sometimes they take a little bit of time for development.

“He's certainly worth pursuing and getting more games into.

“The attraction of being in Sydney is one of those key things.

“He's an integral part of our team.”

McDonald has been linked to both West Coast and Fremantle while Collingwood and Hawthorn have also shown interest.

Another emerging Swans star is Chad Warner who has also been attracting interest from the Eagles and Dockers.

The 23-year-old is contracted for 2025 and Barry has no reason to believe he will be on his way out anytime soon.

“He’s a good kid, he really enjoys Sydney,” Barry said of Warner.

“Being a WA boy there’s always that attraction to go back, but without doubt he really likes the club.

“We’d certainly like him to stay. He’s still got another year on his contract, so we’re just happy for him at the moment.

“The club will deal with that contractual stuff at a later stage.”

The Swans are sitting three games clear on top of the ladder with a 12-1 record, but could yet get stronger with key players still sidelined.

Captain Callum Mills and veteran midfielder Luke Parker could still come into the side as the season progresses, with Barry praising the overall depth of John Longmire’s playing group.

“It’s not a bad situation to be in,” he said further.

“In 2005 (when the Swans won the flag) we only played 24 or 25 players for the whole year, which is quite extraordinary.

“At the moment there’s pressure on guys getting games and if you have the depth it can really improve your 18-22 players on any given weekend.”

“(Mills and Parker) might not get a game!”

The Swans, who beat Adelaide by 42 points in Round 14, will look to continue their good form in the Sydney Derby against the Giants on Saturday from 4:35pm AEST.