Being co-captain of the team at the bottom of the ladder isn't something that sat well with Sydney star Luke Parker.

So, against Essendon on Friday night, Parker drew a line in the middle of the SCG.

The gun midfielder had his angry head on from the first bounce and set about letting the Bombers' players know his team was still stacked full of Bloods culture. 

The one-win Swans conceded the first two goals to the visitors and it looked like being 'Groundhog Night', but led by their physical and fired-up skipper, John Longmire's men refused to go away.

They kicked the next two goals of the game and held a three-point advantage at quarter-time, but that wasn't enough for Parker, who made a beeline for Essendon star Zach Merrett, who'd racked up nine touches in the first stanza.

His players responded with a four-goal second term, a quarter in which Parker turned his attention to Dylan Shiel with a bone-crunching tackle in the centre of the ground.

By the time the Swans had fought back time and time again when the Bombers threatened to get away, they had pulled off an inspiring five-point victory. 

Parker had a game-high 33 disposals, including nine in the thrilling final term, to go with six clearances and five tackles.

The tough onballer told AFL.com.au in the Swans' tunnel after the match he was focused on inspiring the Swans to turn their form around. 

"We just wanted to bring that hard edge back, and I wanted to lead by example and set the tone," he said. 

"The last few weeks we've been down in contested ball and down in tackles, so we really wanted to bring that fierce mentality back.

"It was a bit of fun there at quarter-time getting the boys up.

"I wanted to get back to basics and when I think about who I am as a footballer, I want to be a fierce competitor and lead by example, and hopefully I did that."

Parker said the Sydney playing group made a promise to each other to get themselves back to the footy they're renowned for.

"At the end of the day we looked at our performances and there comes a point in time when enough is enough," he said. 

"We have to maintain high standards and get back to who the Bloods are and who the Swans are. 

"Hopefully the win was a step in the right direction and it was great to be in front when the siren went."