SYDNEY coach John Longmire said it's hard to argue with criticism his players got ahead of themselves after a dominant first quarter against Gold Coast on Saturday.

The Swans looked like they were on a training run at the SCG and led the Suns by 29 points at the first change, but kicked just 2.12 for the rest of the match compared to the visitors' 11.11, to slump to a humiliating 24-point defeat.

It was their fifth loss at home this season and saw them drop out of the top four.

SUNBURNT SWANS Full match coverage and stats

Gold Coast kicked eight unanswered goals in the second and third terms, as Sydney was unable to stop the momentum of the side that had lost 11 straight matches.

A stunned Longmire conceded his players may have thought they had the game wrapped up at quarter-time.

"It's hard to deny. You'd like to think not, but if you look at the evidence, the evidence suggests that," he said.

"This game has got an amazing ability to punch you in the nose when you think you're on top of your game, whether it's as individuals or as a team, and we copped a whack.

"We spoke about it at half-time, some of the challenges and issues that came up during that second quarter, and we came out in the first five minutes of the third quarter and didn't really push back at all.

"They're the times you have the opportunity to turn the momentum back on your own terms and we didn't do it."

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The footy world had expected the Swans to coast to a percentage-boosting win over the Suns, but Longmire said none of those expectations came from his club.

"It doesn't really impact me what people outside the footy club (were saying), but I can guarantee you it wasn't spoken about inside (the club), that’s not my go," he said.

"It never has been, it never will be.

"I've been around long enough not to fall for that."

It was a stunning reversal for Sydney after last week's thrilling win over North Melbourne, but the coach admitted his under-manned side would get just as much out of the Gold Coast game.

"There are always learning opportunities, and sometimes you learn off the great wins, and sometimes it's the really bad losses," he said.

"It'll probably be the only thing we get out of this (game)."

Veteran defender Heath Grundy could be considered for next week's clash with Essendon, after he had a solid hit-out in the NEAFL curtain-raiser.

Grundy was rested against the Kangaroos and was surprisingly not recalled against the Suns.

WATCH John Longmire's full post-match press conference

"We just thought that with Aliir (Aliir) and (Dane) Rampe looking after their talls, it would have forced a bit of a change with our match-ups, so we went with the same set-up as last week," Longmire said.

"It went OK for us last week, it didn't work so well for us today."

The news wasn't as good for speedster Gary Rohan, who was injured in the same reserves clash with Gold Coast.

Rohan gathered 11 possessions in the first half but failed to take the field after the main break due a suspected broken hand.