SYDNEY'S Chad Warner didn't hear the whistle before booting the ball into the crowd in a controversial finish to his club's narrow win over Richmond.

Debate has raged over whether Warner should have been penalised 50 metres, which would have given Tiger Dion Prestia a shot at goal to tie the scores.

Prestia was awarded a free kick about 70m from goal just before the final siren sounded in Friday night's thriller at the SCG.

Warner had collected the ball and kicked it into the crowd, with Richmond players appealing for a 50m penalty which would have brought Prestia within scoring range.

Umpires rejected their pleas and Sydney won by six points.

"I spoke to him after the game, he said 'I didn't hear the whistle, I heard the siren'," Swans coach John Longmire told reporters on Monday.

"It was as simple as that from his perspective ... he heard the siren and that is why he did it."

Asked if the umpires were correct to not penalise Warner, Longmire replied: "Well, it has been ticked off by the AFL."

The flashpoint came as the Swans logged a seventh win of the season to hold seventh spot ahead of Saturday's MCG clash against reigning premier Melbourne.

Longmire said decisions on Nick Blakey (illness) and Tom Hickey (toe) would be made later in the week.

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The fitness of Hickey looms as pivotal given the Swans will be facing the renowned Melbourne ruck pairing of Max Gawn and Luke Jackson.

"We expect him to be able to train on Thursday and then we will see whether he has done enough to be able to play," Longmire said.

The Demons suffered their first loss of the season last Saturday when Fremantle toppled them at the MCG - and Longmire was watching closely.

"The important thing from Freo's perspective was they were able to get ground position in that second half and that makes a big difference," he said.

"It sounds like there's going to be a number of Melbourne players coming back into the team this week so it might be a bit of a different mix that we will be up against."

Melbourne expects premiership-winning quartet Christian Salem (knee), Tom McDonald (ankle), James Harmes (ankle) and Ed Langdon (ribs) to return on Saturday.