SYDNEY'S players have put last week's shock loss to Gold Coast behind them and vice-captain Luke Parker expects a fierce response in Friday night's crucial clash with Essendon at Etihad Stadium.

The Suns beat the home side for the first time in their history after coming from 30 points down early in the second term, with coach John Longmire and star defender Dane Rampe both admitting that complacency cost the Swans at the SCG.

But the Giants' win over Port Adelaide on Sunday meant that Sydney managed to keep hold of fourth spot on the ladder, and Parker said on Wednesday that the players' focus was firmly fixed on the Bombers.

"At the end of the day it's just a loss and we're sitting in a really strong position in terms of where our season is at," he said.

"You don't lose more points because you lose to someone near the bottom of the ladder, so we take responsibility for it and we move forward.

"We're a game or two from falling out of the eight, but we're also a game or two away from top spot, and we're pretty confident that we'll turn it around this week.

"We've been in these situations before when we've had poor losses and our backs have been against the wall, and we've had some of our best games (the following week).

"After a loss it's always better to have a six-day break, because you can get out there as quick as you can and turn things around."

While last week's humiliating result surprised everybody in the footy world, more worrying for Longmire is Sydney's recent form, with his side dropping three of their last four games.

It leaves the Swans in danger of not only dropping out of top-four contention, but outside the top eight altogether if they lose on Friday night and other results go against them over the weekend.

They face a rejuvenated Essendon outfit who is at the other end of the momentum scale, with the Bombers within reach of the top eight on the back of seven wins from their past nine games.

A positive for the Swans is that they're not playing at home this week, where they've remarkably lost five of their nine matches in 2018.

But they've won seven of eight games on the road this season, and three of four at Etihad Stadium.

"Etihad is a quick deck and they're a fast team, so if we turn the ball over like we did on the weekend they make you pay," Parker said.

"We've had our meeting and spoken about how we want to use the ball and work against them, and we'll put that into training.

"We played them in a final last year and just got over the top of them, but they're just outside the eight and fighting for a spot in there, so no doubt it'll be a fierce contest."

Veteran Kieren Jack took to the track on Wednesday with his left knee strapped and could be a chance to return against the Bombers after missing the past two games with a medial ligament strain.

Jarrad McVeigh is also back training and could push to play against Collingwood at the SCG in round 20, after recovering well from surgery to repair his broken collarbone.