The Swans superstar is enjoying arguably career-best form, and showed against Hawthorn how damaging he can be whether kicking goals of his own (three) or having the touch to place the ball in front of a dashing teammate (Gary Rohan) to run on to and goal.

Thompson has had some rugged battles with Franklin – none more so than in 2012 when the then Hawk booted 13 goals in Launceston in the corresponding round four years ago.

Franklin has a strong record against the Roos, booting 58 goals in 16 matches through his time with the Hawks and now the Swans. He has more goals only against Essendon (64 in 13 matches) and Collingwood (60 in 15).

Leading the Coleman Medal this year, Franklin can turn a contest in the blink of an eye, and Thompson knows this blockbuster at the SCG will be another major test of his concentration.

"Like any team, if the pressure is good, you have a chance. Buddy is obviously in great form, kicking lots of goals, was probably best on [against Hawthorn]. It's obvious a good team effort is needed because he is a superstar," Thompson said.

"The really good forwards you can tell – they only need two minutes and they can turn the game on its head. [Franklin] has done it to us before ... you have got to take him the whole time and not let him get a sniff because once he gets his confidence up he is hard to stop."

Thompson said how he used the half-time break was also important in handling the dominant forwards of rival clubs for it gave him time to briefly decompress.

"It's a 120-minute game. At half-time you really have to switch off, then switch back on. It's tough, especially as a defender on the last line of defence, you don't want to just be daydreaming out there," he said.

While Franklin has reaffirmed his status as arguably the league's best player, the Roos will also be wary of the Swans' other goalkicking weapons.

Kurt Tippett, now the frontline ruckman, can still go forward, as he did against the Hawks, and boot two goals, while Rohan supplied three and the crafty Ben McGlynn two.

"They have obviously got some other guys. Tippett has been going forward a bit and playing really well," Thompson said.

So have the Roos. They are enjoying the finest start to a season in club history – nine straight wins – and were buoyed by having a "four-quarter" effort against the Blues in a 67-point win on Saturday night. This came after questions had been raised following modest wins over St Kilda and Essendon.

"It was a really consistent game from us. We have been struggling to string four quarters together, so it was a complete game for us," Thompson said.

Injuries to Ben Jacobs, Shaun Higgins and Daniel Wells – the latter in the mix to return this week – have given others, including the recycled Farren Ray, an opportunity to impress, while defender Robbie Tarrant has been superb.

"He is taking his grabs. His confidence is up. He is beating his opponent then giving us plenty of drive," Thompson said.

While acknowledging the record, Thompson said the Roos had more important ambitions on their mind.

"We are just after that 10th win – we don't look too far forward. Sydney are obviously a good opposition. It will be good to see where we are at," he said.

"Obviously, it's great to be 9-0 ... we want 12 wins to guarantee we're in the finals. We are not looking any further than that. Sydney is our next opportunity to get another win. We want 10 straight."