SYDNEY SWANS coach John Longmire has hailed the club's win over Port Adelaide as one of club's best of the season.
Longmire's brave team bounced back form last week's poor second-half fadeout against Richmond with a courageous 10-point result, achieved without suspended pair Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett and the loss of Ted Richards and Gary Rohan during the match.
The result lifts the club to a 10-3 record and puts it right in the hunt for a top-two finish with nine rounds remaining.
WATCH: John Longmire's full post-match press conference
The Swans' determination was highlighted in the third quarter when they kicked four consecutive goals after the Power had taken the lead and Richards had just been knocked out in a tackle by Jay Schulz.
"To respond from those circumstances was a really good win," Longmire said after the match.
"I thought our leaders and senior players in particular really stood up at that moment in time."
Longmire said his restructured forward line featuring Sam Reid and Adam Goodes, who booted three goals each, performed well and received great support further up the ground from the likes of Josh Kennedy, Dan Hannebery and Kieren Jack.
Kennedy, who finished the night with three majors and 33 touches, was one of nine individual goalkickers for the Swans.
"You've just got to find a way when you have got those challenges," Longmire said of the Swans' forward line setup.
"It always gets back to that midfield battle and Kennedy and Hannebery and Jack and those guys in there were very good tonight."
"When you get your pressure right and your hardness right and your contested ball - which we were well beaten in the second half last week - when you get those basics of the game, you strip it right back, you roll the sleeves up and you work hard, things tend to work out for you most times."
Longmire said the concussed Richards was "fine", with doctors to assess whether the veteran defender would be able to return for the Swans' clash with the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba in 10 days time.
"He is really good now," Longmire said.
However, the assessment was not so positive for Rohan, who has a confirmed hamstring injury that was sustained in the second term when he attempted to tackle Port's Jasper Pittard.
Longmire said Rohan has been in excellent form in recent weeks, kicking goals, pulling down marks and putting strong pressure on opposition defenders when playing as a forward.
"We don't know what it looks like in terms of weeks but it is disappointing to lose him - he has been playing well," Longmire said.
