The red-hot Swans must clamp down on former Sydney midfielder Tom Mitchell in Friday's Marn Grook clash against Hawthorn at the SCG according to superstar forward Lance Franklin.
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Mitchell was squeezed out of the Swans in last year's trade period and ended up at the Hawks with Hawthorn's round-one draft pick going the other way, and the ball magnet leads the competition in disposals this year with 323 through the opening nine rounds.
He collected 50 of those against Collingwood last week, but was unable to prevent the club's sixth loss of the season which left Hawthorn floundering in second last on the ladder.
Sydney meanwhile head into Indigenous Round on the back of three-straight triumphs and sit just two wins outside of the eight ahead of next weekend's bye despite a horror 0-6 start to the season.
A win over the Hawks would confirm last year's grand finalists are back on track in 2017 and the Swans will start as raging hot favourites, but Franklin said that would mean nothing should Mitchell be allowed to get off the leash.
"There's no doubt that we'll be spending a bit of time on Tom and making sure that we curtail his influence around the contest," Franklin said.
"He's been unbelievable hasn't he. He's never had an issue finding the ball, to get 50 touches is a super effort.
"He was a super player here and he's taken that form across to the Hawks, but he's not coming back is he. They've got so many other dangerous players that play some good football too so we're going to be on our game."
Mitchell, who turns 24 next week, has been one of the Hawks' best in a season of ill fortune for the former competition heavyweights.
