Ever since Sydney coach John Longmire flew to the Gold Coast days after last year’s AFL grand final to meet Kurt Tippett, the key forward has been part of his premiership-defence planning.

On Monday Longmire was given the news he expected but didn’t want to hear, that young gun Tom Mitchell has a season-ending ankle injury and Tippett (knee) is no chance of taking on Fremantle in Saturday’s preliminary final in Perth.

Both men were injured in the opening 18 minutes of the reigning premiers’ semi-final win over Carlton, leaving the Swans a man down for most of that match and in a battle against both fatigue and Fremantle this weekend.

But it’d be wrong to say Longmire’s best-laid plans have gone astray. That happened a long, long time ago.

Tippett and Mitchell’s woes follow a horror 2013 run with injuries in which Adam Goodes (knee), Sam Reid (quad), Rhyce Shaw (abdominal and knee) and Lewis Roberts-Thomson (knee) have been among Longmire’s charges to miss the majority of the season.

“This year’s been about making sure we adapt. And being able to cover for players and adapt our style of play,” he said on Monday.

“To this point we’ve been able to do it OK.

“We’ll have a look at the whiteboard, it’ll have another good working over this week.

“Our reserves went to Canberra yesterday and had a good win down there, so we’ll get someone else to come in and fill those blokes’ roles.”

Ben McGlynn (calf) is set to return against the well-rested Dockers, while Sunday’s NEAFL Eastern Conference grand final was Roberts-Thomson’s first game since injuring his knee on April 19.

The versatile veteran is the closest the Swans have to a like-for-like replacement for Tippett, with Reid (quad), Goodes (knee) and Tommy Walsh (hamstring) all done for the season.

However it’s doubtful the Swans will risk him given the lack of match fitness.

“I’m not sure whether he’ll play this week. But he’s certainly played 80 minutes of footy and looked to be moving OK,” Longmire said.

Instead Longmire is likely to settle on yet another forward-line rejigging.

“Benny McGlynn should be back this week which gives us some real run,” he said.

“We feel as though if it (the forward line) is a little bit different, then we can still win with that structure.”

Saturday night’s misfortune did have one upside for the Swans, with substitute Lewis Jetta pulling up well from his unexpected long hit-out and now considered a good chance to lose the green vest.