Sydney Swans saviours may be underdone

Sydney coach John Longmire will not guarantee a returning quintet of senior Swans an immediate spot.

Skipper Josh Kennedy, Lance Frnaklin and Daniel Hannebery take stock of the defeat to the Eagles.

Sydney coach John Longmire will not guarantee a returning quintet of senior Swans an immediate spot despite the one-time premiership fancies enduring their worst start to a season in 24 years.

Less than a month after a poll of AFL captains deemed the Swans one of five sides capable of winning the flag, Sydney’s hopes of simply making the eight are bleak.

Beaten grand finalists last October, Sydney must create history to play finals football after a 26-point loss to West Coast saw them start the year with a fourth successive loss.

There is no doubt the Swans have been undermanned to start the season, but Longmire lamen­ted several basic skill errors on Thursday night in a match that was in the balance midway through the last term.

“We just gifted too many balls back,” Longmire said. The task gets no easier next week when they host Greater Western Sydney, the premiership favourites who trumped them by six goals in a qualifying final last September, at the SCG.

No side has made the eight after starting with a 0-4 record since the system’s introduction in 1993, which coincided with a torturous year for the Swans.

A streak of 18 consecutive losses saw Gary Buckenara sacked as coach and led to the instalment of AFL legend Ron Barassi.

The last team to play finals after failing to win in the first four rounds was North Melbourne in 1975, though the Kangaroos did go on to win their first premiership.

A fifth straight loss would further reduce Sydney’s margin for error throughout the rest of the season. The contrast in their potency and defensive nous compared with last year is stark.

Finishing atop the ladder with 17 wins last season, the Swans averaged 101 points for and 66 points against.

They are leaking more than five goals more per match (98 points) while scoring an average of 78 points to date this year, with turnovers a factor in the defensive misery.

While Lance Franklin finished on the bench against West Coast with his thigh heavily iced after being crunched by Eagles skipper Shannon Hurn, there will be greater personnel available in coming weeks.

Isaac Heeney has almost recovered from a bout of glandular fever, so too premiership co-captain Jarrad McVeigh from a calf problem, while Gary Rohan comes off the long-term injury list.

Versatile big man Kurt Tippett, who injured an ankle against the Western Bulldogs, and ruckman Sam Naismith should also be available for selection.

The return of Heeney and McVeigh, should they find peak form, will assist the Swans with their ball use, which has been an issue when exiting defence in losses to Port Adelaide, the Bulldogs, Collingwood and now West Coast.

Despite the dire situation facing the Swans, Longmire said he would need to weigh the needs of the side and the ability of the quintet to return at the senior level lacking match fitness. “Some (key players) might be available next week but we could do better with the blokes that we have got available,” Longmire said.

“Part of the reason we played (Tom) Papley tonight was because we thought he could help us win but we need to get some game time into him as well, rather than having four or five come back at once.”

Josh Kennedy, a three-time best-and-fairest and triple All Australian, attributed the slow start to the struggle of senior Swans for consistency.

“There is no point in sulking about it now. We still think we can do something about it and there is still a lot of footy left to be played in the season, so we just have to keep working through it and try and turn it,” he said on Fox Footy.

Former Sydney coach Paul Roos, who analysed the match for Fox, also identified turnovers as an issue. But he excused the dip in form of some senior Swans, saying the absence of players such as the quintet set to return in coming weeks had placed them under significant pressure.

The Swans had 11 players feature against West Coast who have made their debuts since the start of last season.

“It is just weight of numbers at the moment for the Swans,” Roos said.

“Their effort has been terrific. Their tackle numbers are still high, their pressure is still good but at the end of the day, it is the talent of the opposition that is getting the job done.”