"We got to get better at it": Swans rue down area as worrying trend continues

Sydney has lost three of their past four encounters and still sits two games clear on top, but is this undoing becoming a larger issue?

Aidan Cellini

WRITER | July 22, 2024 - 8:50am

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Sydney will once again be ruing the false starts that have plagued the ladder leaders for the majority of the year, only this time, it is beginning to take its toll.

In a potential Grand Final preview, the Swans faced the Lions in a mouth-watering encounter that went down to the wire, with last year's runners-up taking home the all-important win by two points.

Despite John Longmire's men still sitting two games clear on top of the ladder with five rounds remaining, a trend has appeared after the club's blistering start to the season.

The Swans sit equal-10th for first quarters won (8) which has put the premiership favourites immediately on the back foot, with Sunday's clash at the Gabba no different.

It was the sixth occasion that the ladder leaders gave up a sizeable lead in the opening 20 minutes.

"We got to be better than that," Longmire said post-game.

"It's something we've talked about, spoken about, we've tried to train it and we got to get better at it.

"Trying to do what we do before pre-game or something... Obviously when you're sitting on top of the ladder, teams come out and go hard and you got to expect that.

"But you got to counter-punch earlier than that and there's nothing wrong with throwing the first one.

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"We haven't done that as good as what we can do."

Longmire is still proud of the effort from the Swans, who have lost four games in 2024 for a combined margin of 10 points.

Beginning the clash without James Rowbottom, Justin McInerney and captain Callum Mills, before half-time, Sydney lost Dane Rampe (calf) and Tom Papley (ankle), while Will Hayward appeared to be in discomfort.

"I'm just really proud of our players," Longmire said.

"To have a contest like that and you lose near-on three players early in the game, I thought was an outstanding effort by our players, absolutely outstanding.

"Sometimes you come off games and you're really disappointed because of how you played and your effort wasn't up to the level, but I couldn't say that about our players today."