SYDNEY players have been given two days off away from the club in the hope that it will rejuvenate their bodies and minds after their hammering at the hands of Port Adelaide continued a poor run of form.
Ahead of a blockbuster Friday night showdown against Collingwood at the SCG, Swans players were told of an impromptu mini break as John Longmire and his coaching staff search for a solution to their alarming form slump.
Saturday night's 112-point defeat to Port Adelaide was their heaviest loss in 31 years and their fifth defeat in six games.
"We processed it on Sunday and then went into solution mode and part of that has been giving the players a couple of days away and try and freshen them up physically and mentally," Longmire said.
"We were considering giving them a couple of days away, off back-to-back six-day breaks at this time of the year anyway. We absolutely felt like that immediately after the game."
"Just to recover physically and mentally and freshen up, come in and have a short, sharp training session tomorrow and get into Collingwood from that perspective," Longmire added.
Only one team has suffered a loss by 100 points or more and gone on to win the premiership that season – Carlton in 1945 – but after getting through the immediate shock of Saturday night's horror show, Longmire is remaining level headed about his team's flag prospects.
"I want to get back to the level of competing this week, that's what you turn to. That's part of long-time coaching. Getting back to that focus of what we need to do this week, it's never been more than that," he said.
"Every team (this season) has had ebbs and flows. The thing that hit us on the weekend was the drop in performance and standards from where we've been and so the gap feels that much greater.
"We're mindful of that but we're confident we can return to a level of competing that gives us the best possible chances in games."
Unsurprisingly, the critics have come for the Swans following their Adelaide Oval humiliation, with Longmire's former teammate David King claiming they've lost their team focus and started to think about individual accolades.
"I'm confident that our playing group know that team first is the reason why we've got to where we've got to this season," Longmire responded.
"The last two weeks you open yourself up to criticism, whether that's right or wrong, I'm confident that our playing group know the best way to perform as a team and as individuals is to work for and with each other."
In a further blow to the Swans, Justin McInerney – who was enjoying a career-best season – won't be ready to return for around a month after his knee injury.
While Joel Amartey and key defenders Dane Rampe and Lewis Melican are on track to return, Longmire conceded he wasn't out to make a raft of changes as a reaction to their Saturday night shellacking.
"You've got to provide some solutions to players but also provide some confidence to them. You've got to make sure that those confidence levels are also sustainable because it is, they've proven it, they've been a very good team," said Longmire.
"We weren't up to standard on the weekend but we're confident our playing group know what to do to get back to that."
