Grateful for the unity shown by other clubs over the vilification of Adam Goodes, Sydney will pay their own tribute to their champion on Saturday, even though he won’t be playing.

The Swans aren’t expecting Goodes to attend the game against Adelaide at the SCG after he was given indefinite leave earlier in the week.

Nonetheless, they are preparing to show support to the man whose tally of 365 games is a club record and the ninth highest across the competition.

Their game day banner is expected to contain an anti-racism message and a highlights package of the dual Brownlow Medallist’s career will be played on the scoreboard in the countdown to the first bounce.

Several other AFL clubs this weekend are planning various ways of showing their support for Goodes.

The Swans coaches are adamant the players are ready to focus on the game against Adelaide despite the off-field distractions during the week which their co-captains admitted had affected them.

“They have been really good, obviously supportive of Adam and so I think they just want to play now,” senior assistant coach Stuart Dew said on the Swans website on Friday.

“There has been a lot of talk this week, but I think the best way they know they can support Adam is with a win for him.”

Swans’ co-captain Jarrad McVeigh expressed his appreciation of all AFL club captains giving their approval to a open letter in which they called on supporters to make a stand against vilification.

“To have everyone standing as one together is fantastic,” McVeigh said.

“We appreciate it as a footy club. All the other teams and all the players are getting behind the cause.”

Crows interim head coach Scott Camporeale expressed disappointment this week at the way Goodes had been treated and that he wouldn’t be lining up at the SCG on Saturday.

“It’s obviously disappointing what’s happened with Adam (Goodes), he’s a great of our game and we want to see the best players out there playing,” Camporeale said.