John Longmire has dismissed AFL premiership hype as meaningless, with Sydney’s coach keen to keep the lid on after his team snapped West Coast’s 10-match winning streak.
The Swans will take plenty of confidence into their mid-season bye, having detailed their premiership credentials in an impressive 15-point win over the Eagles at the SCG.
Sydney remain the only club to have beaten West Coast this year, with some pundits now describing them as flag favourites.
It is a conversation that Longmire, whose team have been a constant presence in the finals since he started his tenure in 2011, simply won’t be dragged into.
“It doesn’t sit with me. Because it doesn’t mean anything,” Longmire told reporters.
“Three weeks ago, nothing was said.
“It won’t matter what is said now.
“Because we know we need to go about our business every week and work hard. It’s as simple as that.”
The Swans are in the midst of a tough stretch. They next face reigning premiers Richmond at Eithad Stadium before hosting Geelong.
Veteran Jarrad McVeigh, who missed Friday night’s match because of a sore calf, headlines the potential inclusions for the club’s clash with Richmond on Thursday week.
“We’ll make sure the blokes get the rest they need to, but we also know the Thursday night game will come upon us pretty quickly,” Longmire said.
“We don’t get the full two weeks (off), then we’ve got to play the Tigers down in Melbourne, so it doesn’t get easier.
“There might be a couple of blokes back after the bye, hopefully, but we know there’s swings and roundabouts with that (injuries) as well.”
Key defender Lewis Melican and versatile tall Sam Reid, neither of whom have played since round three, are also expected to be cleared to return soon.
The Swans’ depth is perhaps best reflected by the fact young gun Aliir Aliir has only played two games this year. Aliir was magnificent in defence for the Swans on Friday night, ensuring it will be hard for Longmire to drop him.
“We’ll have to look at what Richmond’s forward line looks like and do a bit of work on them. I thought he was pretty handy tonight, he really helped us out,” Longmire said.