SYDNEY not only lost its third match from four starts on Sunday to rampaging Brisbane, but has fresh injury concerns with Dane Rampe, Tom Papley and possibly Will Hayward.

The Swans were gallant in the two-point defeat, overturning a 22-point quarter-time deficit and leading three separate times in the final term before falling just short.

They had to play the second half without Rampe (calf) and Papley (ankle), while Hayward looked hobbled with a leg injury, but played the match out.

Despite the loss, Sydney remain clear ladder leaders with five rounds remaining and coach John Longmire had nothing but praise for his men.

"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."

Longmire was unsure of the severity of the injuries to Papley and Rampe, simply saying they were "serious enough" to have them taken from the field.

LIONS v SWANS Full match coverage and stats

The setbacks come in the same week that Justin McInerney (knee) and James Rowbottom (cheekbone) were also ruled out, while captain Callum Mills had to be rested after his return game with soreness.

Sydney's coach felt the warm conditions and playing with one less on the bench for the second half eventually took its toll.

It was the third time the Swans had lost by less than a goal in the past month, following defeats at the hands of Fremantle and St Kilda.

"We had shots at goal and missed them in two of those games," Longmire said.

"Every story is a bit different. Today we were undermanned, had a crack and kept on counter-punching. It would be great to win two of those, but we haven't."

Although the Swans were undermanned during the second half, Brisbane's win was still full of merit, after it trailed by 15 points at the last change.

Coach Chris Fagan said his team's seventh consecutive win, in what he described as a "finals-like game", told him plenty about what he had to work with.

"It does a lot for the culture of your footy club, just that resilience to hang in there and never give up," Fagan said.

"Not that we've ever been a team that's given up, it just reinforces that.

"It showed an incredibly strong will to win and a strong mindset.

"Things hadn't gone our way since the first quarter, so to turn it around like that is a great sign."