SYDNEY Swans defender Marty Mattner has given a frank assessment of his side's upset loss to Richmond, saying the effort simply wasn't good enough and "everyone needs a kick in the backside".

Mattner fronted the media in Sydney on Monday and expressed the disappointment everyone at the club is feeling following the 43-point loss at the MCG.

A win would have virtually sealed a finals berth, but the Swans were outplayed by Richmond, a club on a six-game losing streak.

"It was probably our most disappointing game for the year, looking at where we were ... probably looking at that sixth spot and a home final," Mattner said.

"To lose like that is pretty disappointing. It just came down to the effort, the effort wasn't there.

"We were in the game until half-time, even at three quarter-time we were 19 points down, and to be blown out of the water like that against Richmond, who didn't have finals aspirations like us, it's not good enough.

"Everyone needs a kick in the backside. Everyone has to sit back and look at themselves a bit."

The result has left the eighth-placed Swans in a precarious position, with games against St Kilda (ANZ Stadium), Geelong (Skilled Stadium) and the Brisbane Lions (SCG) to complete their home-and-away campaign.

A one-point loss to Essendon two weeks ago, where a number of Swans were down on form, followed by the Richmond defeat has undone much of the good work from earlier in the season.

But Mattner insists morale is still high.

"Everyone's still pretty upbeat, we just haven't played very well the last two weeks," Mattner said.

"We probably cost ourselves a great opportunity of where we were four or five weeks ago.

"That's probably the most disappointing thing, we set ourselves up in the first half of the year and the last two or three weeks haven't been good enough."

Asked if they would need to win two of their last three games to ensure their place in the finals, Mattner said: "We just need to win a game of football.

"It doesn't really matter about finals now, we just have to get back to our brand of footy and play that against the Saints and win a game."

South Australian Mattner began his career with Adelaide before joining the Swans in 2007.

And he agreed the Swans were probably being spared some of the criticism they would have received if they were based elsewhere after their performance on Sunday.

"A little bit," he said when asked if they fly under the radar in Sydney.

"If there was a loss like this in Melbourne or Adelaide it would probably be bigger news, especially the opportunities we've been given.

"In the first half of the year we were going really well and the last two weeks haven't been good enough.

"You can fly under the radar a bit [in Sydney]."

Mattner was also hoping the coaching the staff would give most players a chance to atone for their effort on Sunday.

"As a group we have to stick together, that's probably the biggest thing," he said.

"We can't have any fractures in the team.

"You'd like the team to have another chance to redeem themselves … but you just don’t know what the coaches will want."