SYDNEY coach John Longmire has labelled his side's effort "utterly unacceptable" after being thrashed to the tune of 112 points by Port Adelaide on Saturday night.
After leading the competition with 13 wins from their first 14 games, the Swans have had a steep decline in form with losses in five of the past six matches.
POWER v SWANS Full match coverage and stats
However, before last week's 39-point defeat at the hands of the Western Bulldogs, Sydney had been in every contest until the final minute, but against the Power they were blown away from the outset and trailed by 71 points before hitting the scoreboard themselves - courtesy of a rushed behind.
"It's completely and utterly unacceptable," Longmire said post-match.
"It's not up to standard.
"We've been in every game this year until last week, and we dropped away last week. And today just didn't seem like it had a baseline to it at all, in any area.
"We just didn't come to compete and that's the very essence of the game. If you don't come to compete and fight you get shown up, no matter who you play."
Asked if he was bewildered by the performance, Longmire said: "Yeah, that'd be one word to describe it."
With a revitalised Collingwood waiting next week before Essendon and Adelaide in the final two home and away rounds, the Swans don't have much time to rediscover the form that has seen them sit atop the ladder since round eight.
"We've talked about it," Longmire said of his side's slow starts that plummeted to new depths against the Power.
"We've talked about training, we've tried different methods before the game. In the end we need to stop talking about it and get on with it. We need to be fiercer in the contest earlier in the game, it's as simple as that."
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley is keeping the lid firmly on despite guiding his side to the massive victory over the ladder leaders.
"I'll remember it. That’s what I will do. I'll remember the game," Hinkley said of the victory.
"I'll remember it easily because you just don’t normally do that sort of stuff in 400 times that I’ve turned up to the footy.
"As I keep saying all the time, just wait 'til the end, see what happens.
"The comp says, 'lose one and you're out of the eight'."
Hinkley stopped short of saying the victory vindicated his coaching after copping criticism for Port's form slump earlier in the season.
"It doesn't matter yet, unfortunately, because until you get to the end, everyone will just point to one thing," he said.
Asked about the form of veteran forward Charlie Dixon, Hinkley smiled and said: “He’ll get another game.”
Dixon finished with three goals on Saturday but had only managed six from his past seven outings, four of those coming against wooden spoon favourite Richmond.
"He's worked really hard, he's not a surrenderer, he’s not someone who gives up," Hinkley said of Dixon, who he had verbally sparred with earlier in the season in an effort to lift the 33-year-old's form.
"He took on the challenge and good on him for being able to produce. There's more to Charlie's role than people (that) just purely look at numbers (may think), and he’s playing the role pretty well."
