Sydney Swans senior coach John Longmire has provided an update on hampered defenders Dane Rampe and Tom McCartin.

The dependable stoppers have been sidelined with respective injuries, but Longmire, who spoke on Breakfast with Harf on Monday, believes the duo is nearing a return.

The veteran Swans coach started with an update on Rampe, who continues to rehabilitate a neck injury.

"Yeah, [Rampe is] a chance this week, hopefully," Longmire began.

"He's been training with us, [he] just hasn't gotten the final tick to play [yet], so hopefully this week he achieves that and gets the full tick to be able to come in and play a competitive game of footy, which would be great."

As for McCartin, who remains under a concussion cloud, Longmire ruled out the 23-year-old key defender from an appearance this weekend but assured he's on a positive track to return imminently.

"He's certainly feeling better and [he's] doing a bit more in a training sense, so we're hopeful (about his situation), he won't be playing this week, but hopefully he won't be too far away," Longmire said.

Longmire was quizzed on the topic of concussion and the sometimes-innocuous nature of head-knock incidents, particularly considering the unfortunate circumstances surrounding McCartin and his brother, Paddy, who fell victim to another concussion against Port Adelaide in Round 4 and last Tuesday was ruled out for the remainder of the 2023 season.

Inquisitioned about how contemporary concussion conversations compare to those of his own playing days, Longmire discussed the multiple symptomatic stages and the cautious nature of concussed players' return to play.

"It's just better education, when a player mentions something now in regards to how they're feeling, or even after a game, or even a couple of days after a game, they go straight into the protocol," Longmire said.

"So, that obviously didn't happen when we played quite a few years ago, so that's probably one of the bigger changes.

"Everyone's being looked after that well now, so the players are taking a longer time to get back [to playing].

"We've been affected quite a bit this year with a number of different players [falling victim to] concussion, and it's just through a conservative nature to make sure they're right to go when they come back in."

When the Swans take to the field against the Saints on Thursday night at the SCG, Lance Franklin will make his 350th AFL appearance.