Sydney pulled off a miracle win over Essendon on Friday night and even coach John Longmire admits he thought they were just about gone.

The Swans trailed by 19 points deep into the final term after the Bombers had kicked seven goals in a row from late in the third quarter, but the home side somehow managed to fight back and steal the game thanks to a Gary Rohan major after the final siren.

After losing close ones to Collingwood and Hawthorn on their home ground this season, Sydney finally got one back with a stunning one-point victory that left Longmire still a touch shocked post-match.

"It's not too often you go through games like that," he said.

"To get 19 points down with less than five minutes to go and get those few minutes right was a credit to the players.

"They thought clearly through it and we got a bit of luck, because those sorts of situations have gone against us before, especially this year.

"You need a little bit of luck obviously when things are that tight but it was on the back of us getting some things right, we haven't got them right in the past, but we got them right tonight."

Longmire said the coaches' box had very little to do in the dying stages, and didn't sugar coat it when asked his thoughts when defender Michael Hurley kicked a goal 23 minutes into the final term.

"I was probably like you guys, you don't have to be Einstein, I thought we were in trouble," he said.

"They got a run on and had a good last quarter, they're a really good side and you have to do a lot right to beat them.

"You're in the lap of the players as far as their ability to get things done, and they did it at a really high level."

Former co-captain Jarrad McVeigh is a chance to return to the side for next week's clash with Melbourne at the MCG, after getting through the NEAFL curtain raiser on Friday night.

McVeigh kicked two goals from 19 possessions and laid seven tackles in his side's big win over Sydney University.

"He got through the allotted time that he was supposed to play and I think he's pulled up okay. He certainly looked okay after the game," Longmire said.

"I didn't get a chance to talk to him but he seemed happy."