Sydney aren't spooked by the prospect of an AFL elimination final because they've essentially been contesting them for most of the season.

The Swans find themselves in somewhat unfamiliar territory this September. Not since 2011 have they started a finals series outside the top four.

It means there will be no second chance if they lose in week one of the finals, something that has transpired in three of the past four years.

But the threat of Sydney's season ending became apparent long before Saturday week's knockout clash with Essendon at the SCG.

No side in VFL/AFL history had started a season with five losses and reached finals, but the Swans achieved the feat from 0-6.

Vice-captain Dan Hannebery suggested his team would continue to adopt the same mindset that had delivered 14 wins from their past 16 clashes.

"We couldn't get too far ahead of ourselves because of the situation we were in," Hannebery told reporters on Thursday.

"In a way, that probably helped us out - just kept our focus pretty narrow.

"We knew that if we lost another two or three games ... it'd be incredibly tough (to finish in the top eight).

"But you never stop believing. We knew if we got a lot of things right that we'd be a chance to work our way back into contention."

The midfielder added he was proud of the club's remarkable rise up the ladder, which included away wins over top-four sides Adelaide, Geelong, Richmond and Greater Western Sydney.

"After that Adelaide game (in the second-last round of the season), it was really pleasing then, knowing we'd locked our finals spot in," he said. "The guys worked really hard.

"But it's in the past now ... there's a fair bit of hard work to go."

Hannebery, after missing the Swans' final-round match against Carlton because of a hip injury, is set to return against the Bombers.

He noted grand-final losses in 2014 and 2016 still burned but they were unlikely to come up in conversation this September.

"We know how bad that feeling was and we don't want it to happen again," the 26-year-old said.

"But this is a new year."