SYDNEY'S loss to Carlton on Saturday was just about a season killer, and the most disappointing aspect of the seven-point defeat was the way the Blues beat the Swans with their own trademark style of footy.
Not many gave the visitors a chance of upsetting the Swans on their home deck and with good reason, given their last win at the venue came in 2011.
However, the Blues were harder, tougher and more committed than the home side.
Aliir Aliir and Matthew Kreuzer contest the ruck. Picture: AFL Photos
The Swans' loss makes their already slim hopes of making the finals even harder.
Sydney coach John Longmire was left to lament some alarming statistics from the match, as Carlton smashed his team in the contested ball (+19), the clearances (+13) and stoppage clearances (+10).
Patrick Cripps (19 contested possessions and eight clearances), Ed Curnow (14 and nine), Marc Murphy (11 and six) and ruckman Matthew Kreuzer (10 and six) overwhelmed the Swans in particular.
SWANS' BLUE DAY Full match coverage and stats
"We got well beaten around the footy," Longmire said post-match.
"That's the number one rule, you've got to win the footy at the source, and we weren't able to do that consistently enough.
"Our communication around the ball wasn't great and I didn't think we set-up as well as we usually do.
"The flow-on effect of that meant that we were always on the back foot and chasing our tail.
"Carlton were hard and fierce and that's always a good platform to launch your ball movement from.
"They were better than us in the midfield and that gave them the ascendancy."
WATCH John Longmire's full post-match media conference
Kreuzer took advantage of Aliir Aliir, who once again battled hard out of position, but found the going tough against the bigger bodied Blue.
Sydney looked like getting some good news in terms of their decimated ruck stocks until Darcy Cameron pinged his quad again during the week.
It leaves Longmire with little option but to keep using Aliir and Sam Reid as his ruckmen or take a punt on the untried and inexperienced Michael Knoll or Joel Amartey.
Callum Sinclair (shoulder) and Sam Naismith (knee) remain weeks away from being available.
"Darcy is out for a number of weeks again which is unfortunate for him and us.
"We've got a couple of young rucks, so we'll see how they go (in the NEAFL) this week.
"We know what we'd like to do but we just have to get through it and play with the hand we're dealt."
