WE SHOULD have known better than to write off Sydney.
But just two weeks ago the Swans had slipped to ninth on the ladder – with a poor percentage – after losing four of their previous five games, including an inexplicable loss to Gold Coast at the SCG in round 18.
With one of the toughest runs home over the final month of the season, it seemed a safe bet they would miss the finals for the first time in coach John Longmire's eight-year reign.
SWANS HANG ON Full match coverage and stats
The Swans' renowned self-belief, however, was not dented.
And after addressing the need to put more pressure on the opposition they have recorded stirring wins over Collingwood and Melbourne over the past two weeks to climb to sixth on the ladder, and on the verge of their eighth straight finals campaign.
The Swans' job is not done yet, given Geelong, North Melbourne and, to a lesser extent, Essendon can still overtake them over the final two rounds, and given their final two matches are against top-four teams Greater Western Sydney and Hawthorn.
HEENEY FLIES HIGH Five talking points
But Longmire told reporters after his team's inspired nine-point win over the Demons that they would approach the remainder of the season with confidence.
"It doesn't get any easier. (But) I feel how I always feel, which is confident going into games. We're confident in what we can do," Longmire said.
"We know we need to bring our best to play against the best and we certainly come up against the best next week for a start.
"We know that it doesn't get easier from here, but we played a good team on their home deck today and we'll play a really, really good team next week and we just think that's a good position to be in.
"We want to get to the situation where you've got two games to go and you control your own destiny. What you need to ask for as a coach and a footy club is get to this time of the year and control your own destiny.
"We've got the opportunity to do that. It's in front of us, we know that, but it's a good spot to be."
WATCH John Longmire's full post-match press conference
Longmire said there was a strange feeling in the Swans' rooms after Sunday's game given their elation at beating the Demons – after being down two players on the interchange bench for the final three quarters – was mixed with the devastation of Alex Johnson's suspected ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
Johnson, who had returned for his first senior game since the 2012 Grand Final a week earlier, was injured late in the first quarter and is now expected to require a sixth knee reconstruction.
Longmire said he did not know what to say to his players after the game, but hoped they could channel some of Johnson's resilience for the rest of the season.
"He's shown a remarkable amount of resilience, Alex, as everyone knows, the footy world knows that, but no one more than his teammates," Longmire said.
"His teammates are the ones who see him sweat and work hard for such a long time. And we showed a form of that resilience tonight after quarter-time when he went off.
"Just a bit of that might have rubbed off and it needs to continue to rub off for the rest of the year. You need to stand up and our boys did tonight and we need to do it next week as well."
