When it was last happening Jack was a player of promise, part of the next generation of Swans who needed to lift as the likes of Michael O'Loughlin, Leo Barry, Brett Kirk and Barry Hall left. The Swans had gradually slid down the pole – from premiers to runner-up, to September also-ran to missing out entirely.

"Back at that stage it was all a bit unknown to me, we weren't sure how quickly it would happen," Jack says of the period from 2008-10 when the club said goodbye to its heroes from 2005 and built the foundations for its 2012 flag. "There were a lot of question marks as to where the list was at, where it could go going forward but through drafting and smart trading and keeping a strong core group together you were able to see a rejuvenation happen and it can happen quite quickly if you do it correctly. In 2011 we played in a semi-final, and then 2012 happened."

For that reason, he has more confidence in this regeneration. This time it's the elder statesmen from the 2012 success who have left, and Jack is no longer a rising star but a senior player and part of a leadership group that has spearheaded the club's early-season charge. It was only natural after Sydney's poor finish to last year to write them off for 2016 but with players like Jack, Lance Franklin, Josh Kennedy, Dan Hannebery and Luke Parker, to name a few, still in their prime this is a team that has top-end talent the envy of many rivals. It also gives the newcomers a softer landing into league football, rather than having to play big roles that they are not ready for.

"If you look at our core group it's still been able to stick together and still play really good football," Jack says. "We've been able to introduce some young blokes in and not expect too much of them, they've been able to come in, have a real impact and perform a role at a high level. That's the exciting part. They're going to learn and grow and not have too much pressure on them at a young age which is important."

So, too, are the club's recent re-signings, of which Jack is the latest, which can be seen as an endorsement in the club's progress. Jack is almost certain to be a Swan for life after shunning free agency and signing a contact extension that keeps him in his home town until the end of 2019. The Swans co-captain will be 32 by then and, given a reasonable run with injury, be within sight of 300 games – a milestone achieved by only three other Swans.

Others to have recommitted this year include Hannebery, Parker, Nick Smith and Harry Cunningham though young gun Tom Mitchell's signature remains elusive. Jack says he never contemplated leaving Sydney but, if he had, one senses it would have been to Perth, where his partner lives, rather than Melbourne.

"This is the environment I'm used to in terms of recognition and what AFL footballers are like in Sydney," Jack says. "I ask and compare it to a lot of our new players that come in from trades from Melbourne and interstate and they always speak glowingly about how good we've got it in Sydney. From that respect I don't really want to experiment going down there for the sake of how good it is in Sydney, I'd much prefer to stay here."

Jack appreciates the anonymity an AFL footballer can enjoy in Sydney but has noticed interest rising in the game. "If I'm walking with Buddy then I'll probably get recognised," Jack jokes.

"You look at memberships across Sydney, there's no doubt the game's growing and our faces are more recognisable, but it's still not like and will probably never be like Melbourne but that's the nature of the Sydney environment."