SYDNEY will welcome back star midfielder Kieren Jack and premiership defender Nick Smith for Saturday night’s semi-final against North Melbourne.

Jack strained the medial ligament in his knee in Round 23 with fears it could end his season.

But injured onballer Luke Parker last night revealed Jack and Smith were set to face the Kangaroos at ANZ Stadium.

“Smooch (Nick Smith) is going to be back this week and Kieren Jack as well so there’s two really good leaders coming back into the team,” Parker said as he was crowned the competition’s most courageous player at the AFL Players’ Association awards.

Parker said he was hoping to be available for the preliminary final against West Coast next week, should the Swans beat North.

“I had a really good running session today and I’ve been in Horse’s (coach John Longmire) office in his ear but unfortunately I won’t make it this weekend but I’m a chance to next weekend.”

Parker confirmed forwards Sam Reid (hamstring) and Lance Franklin (mental health) were out for the season.

media_camera Luke Parker on the comeback trail. Picture: Getty

Yesterday premiership defender Ted Richards signed a new contract to play on in 2016.

Richards is over the moon to have his future secured with a new one-year deal, but his more immediate concern is dealing with North’s star forwards Jarrad Waite and Drew Petrie.

‘The Kangaroos forward line is a real strength of theirs,” Richards said

“Our defence has quite a few different match ups which are important for us to get right.”

Richards form has followed the Swans this season with a bad patch in July and some steady improvement in the last month.

He was back to his best against Fremantle in Saturday’s qualifying final in Perth where he kept Matthew Pavlich goal-less.

“I still think I’m capable of playing some bloody good football,” Richards said.

“Footy comes down to enjoyment, passion and capability. For a lot of guys injuries bring on the end of their careers. Fortunately for me I’ve played almost 100 consecutive games without missing. I knew physically I was capable and it was just a matter of sitting down and working it out.”

media_camera Kieren Jack runs at the SCG. Picture: Brett Costello

Sydney’s very stable backline is in for a period of change. Richards is 32 and a year-to-year proposition, Heath Grundy is having his best season ever but will turn 30 next year, and with the departure of Nick Malceski last year and Rhyce Shaw at the end of this season the Swans back six will look very different very quickly.

Richards says there’s nothing to worry about citing the departures of Leo Barry, Craig Bolton and Jared Crouch in quick succession five years ago.

“I remember people in the media were putting question marks over our defence and no one rated us,” Richards said.

“I was annoyed with that because we did have a good defensive unit and in 2011 we made the finals and won the first and in 2012 we won the premiership.

“Personnel might change but as a club we’ve got a culture where we constantly help the guys coming through. Hopefully we won’t fall off a cliff as far as personnel goes. We’d like to think that if it’s Shawry or myself going someone else can slot in and we aren’t missing someone.”

The one year deal with see Richards play his 11th season in Sydney after playing just 33 games in his first four years in the AFL at Essendon. He has now played 252 games in 15 seasons in the AFL.

“It’s exciting (to re-sign) because I’m really enjoying my footy and it’s good to have that certainty about what’s going on next year,” Richards said.

“I always wanted to play on next season, there was just a patch during the year with my form during the year. I’m approaching the game the same way as last week and the same way as this week which is working hard.”

Originally published as Jack back in boost for Swans