The departure of Barry Hall will trigger the start of a rebuilding stage at the Swans with more old heads expected to follow the fiery forward.

Sydney co-captain Adam Goodes says Hall’s resignation along with Michael O’Loughlin’s retirement at the end of the season means generational change is imminent.

Defenders Jared Crouch and Leo Barry are also expected to follow O’Loughlin and Hall from the club, taking around 1,000 AFL games with them.

“The way we’re looking now, we’re going to lose some players and it’s going to be a really good opportunity to build another team,” Goodes said on Friday.

“A lot of positions will be up for grabs and it’ll be good to see how younger players and our new recruits really buy into what the culture is and what we started and hopefully we can really build again like we did six or seven years ago.”

With Hall and O’Loughlin gone, Goodes will become Sydney’s most experienced player, having already ran out 244 times for the club.

He is also one of the few players who will still be at Sydney next year and who underwent the club’s last rebuilding stage between 2001 and 2003.

During that period more than 1,300 careers games left the Swans with Paul Kelly, Andrew Dunkley, Dale Lewis, Troy Luff and Daryn Cresswell all hanging up their boots.

The dual Brownlow Medallist says he wants to be part of the club’s rebuilding and will relish having a leadership role in the development younger players.

“For me being a co-captain it’s really about developing the next generation and that’s my responsibility and the responsibility of a co-captain and I look forward to doing that,” Goodes said.

“I really enjoy being around the younger players. They have so much enthusiasm and if I can be part of the rebuilding stage and help us get somewhere in the next three years after this one, then I really look forward to that.”

© AAP 2012

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