Luke Parker admits there were times when he thought Sydney no longer needed him.

But that will not be the case when Sydney kick off their Championship campaign with a qualifying match against rivals GWS at the SCG on Saturday.

Parker, who has been named in coach John Longmire’s squad, knows his team will rely on his experience from September.

After injury-hit tall Sam Reid retired in July, Parker is the only remaining member of the 2012 Swans squad still playing.

Since making his debut in 2011, he has appeared in 10 AFL finals, including two grand finals.

But it wasn’t until May that the decorated 31-year-old – a three-time club champion, former captain, All-Australian and Premier League hero – struggled to break into the senior midfield group that had secured the lower-league side’s 8-1 start to the campaign.

“(I) wasn’t wondering if I still had it, (I) was probably wondering a little bit if I was needed or not,” Parker said.

“But look, I have enormous faith in what I can do in the team, in the game.

“I know that at this time of year experience is very important, you have to stay sober, have a lot of experience, be calm and composed.

“It’s definitely something I’ve been working on this year, especially the back end.

“I could sit there and moan about whether I got picked or not, or what position I was playing, but for me it was about just enjoying every moment, enjoying the opportunity and finding the love of competing.”

But there are some experiences that Parker considers irrelevant.

For example, Sydney have never beaten GWS in September and have lost all three meetings dating back to the first in 2016.

Parker, who played in all three losing matches, downplayed the derby finals record as irrelevant.

The Swans have won the local championship in their last three meetings, including two this season.

“Of course there’s some history in it, but look, it’s a new game every year. It’s a new game every time,” Parker said.

“We beat them twice in a year, that doesn’t mean anything.

“We know that on Saturday they will be confident in what they will do and we will be confident in what we can do.

“This is what finals are all about and that’s why we’re the two best teams in the league right now.”

Parker has become the subject of transfer speculation after reports suggested the veteran was “open to considering a move” to another club next year.

North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson mentioned Parker during a radio interview in August when discussing the type of experienced players the Kangaroos need to help develop their junior team.

However, the Swans club icon refused to comment on his future.

“It’s nice that these teams are mentioning your name and that there’s someone you might be interested in, but I’ve still got games and finals to focus on,” Parker said.

“It would be weird (to leave Sydney), but like I said, at the moment I’m just enjoying every opportunity that comes my way.”