SWANS coach John Longmire's decision to select Nick Malceski in the team to meet Hawthorn at the SCG tomorrow means he is likely to have seen the last of his prospective office lodger.

It will be just 79 days since Malceski underwent LARS knee surgery when he runs out tomorrow - but if Longmire had got his way, it would have been even earlier.

''I thought he was setting up a bed in my office there at one stage and I had to actually evict him out of my office last week,'' Longmire said. ''From the moment he's been back training, he's been very keen and he's let me know all the way through how he's progressing, to the point where I had to tell him to give me a rest. It's great to see him back. He's really keen, he's done all the work and he's looking forward to it.''

Malceski said yesterday he started knocking on Longmire's door about four weeks ago, ''just going past all the coaches and letting them know'' how he was feeling and progressing.

When he injured the same knee in 2008 and had the same surgery, Malceski went straight back into the seniors. This time he made his way back through playing 70 minutes in the reserves last week.

But, regardless, he will still be back in the top team faster than last time when - with an injury that used to mean the end of a season - it took 86 days.

Malceski admitted there was plenty of uncertainty when he came back last time, but the benefit of that experience and seeing how strong the knee was means he is bursting with confidence this time. ''I think that [confidence gained from last time] is the thing that has got me through most of my rehab … I've stayed positive,'' he said. ''I've been upbeat and really enjoying and attacking the rehab and it's paid off. And John's given me the chance this week.

''With the big pre-season I had - probably the best one I've ever had - then I played a couple of [practice] games and I have only missed 2½ to three weeks of actual running [after the injury]. I've been doing a lot of stepping and agility work all through the rehabilitation, I haven't had any hiccups with it.''