Swans coach John Longmire says adapting to the ebbs and flows of modern-day football is the key to surviving taxing periods in the fixture.
The Swans will have the benefit of a 10-day break between Thursday night’s win against Port Adelaide and Sunday’s clash against Brisbane at the Gabba.
The nice change of pace comes sandwiched between two six-day breaks.
Longmire says, in a game where a sound and settled routine can make all the difference, adapting effectively and efficiently to the short and long turnarounds is the key to surviving such periods in the draw.
A few tweaks will be made to the schedule, according to the head coach, but nothing that will throw the team’s preparation out of whack as the Swans aim for their 11th win of season 2015.
“These days you’ve got to adapt to different training schedules,” Longmire said.
“We had a six-day break, go into a 10-day break, then have more six-day breaks…it’s all part of modern-day football.
“It’s just a matter of adjusting which we always try and do.”
The extended break will be welcomed after the coaches and fitness staff had only six days to, firstly, bounce back from the Round 13 loss to Richmond and, secondly, prepare for the hard slog against the Power.
It will allow Ted Richards, who was forced out of Thursday night’s game in the second half with concussion, more time to recover and prove his fitness while Ben McGlynn and Craig Bird are almost certainties to return because of the break.
Whether that's straight back into the seniors or via the NEAFL will be up to the match committee later in the week.
The Swans, who fly into Sydney on Monday morning after the twilight match against the Lions, face another short week on the training track (six days) before taking on reigning premier Hawthorn at ANZ Stadium.