Sydney defender Rhyce Shaw is confident his champion AFL teammate Adam Goodes will return soon from a self-imposed stint in the reserves, perhaps even to face the Western Bulldogs this weekend.

“I think he played well on the weekend again,” Shaw said in Sydney on Tuesday.

“Hopefully he can get back in this week, but if not I’m sure he’ll be back in soon.”

Shaw said Goodes, who has played the past two weeks in the NEAFL, would give the Swans’ on-field leadership a boost upon return to the starting line-up.