Speaking to Mike Sheahan, Gerard Healy and Jason Dunstall on Fox Footy’s On the Couch program on Monday night, the Swans coach said the team would have to continue to improve ahead of this weekend’s round three clash against the Adelaide Crows.
“We’re not happy with the start of the season,” Longmire said.
“We thought in our first game against GWS we were poor and then went into the bye and had to fix a few areas, our contested footy in particular.
“Whilst we were better on the weekend in a number of different areas and in a number of the key indicators, unfortunately we didn’t have the composure in the last term and we didn’t win again.
“Clearly, losing the first two was not what we were after but we’ll keep working hard at it.”
The wide-ranging interview also saw Longmire respond to a number of issues reported in the media over the past fortnight, including the suggestion that Lance Franklin’s recruitment has had a negative impact on the club.
The coach dismissed the rumours about Franklin, adding that he and the club’s leadership group had no concerns about the way ‘Buddy’ was settling in.
“I talk to our leaders all the time and that’s certainly not something they’ve said to me,” Longmire said.
“We think (Franklin) has been training hard and preparing as best he can to make sure he makes an impact on the ground.
“We understand that particularly over the last two weeks there’s been a bit floating around and what we’ve been trying to do is focus it back on the footy.”
The coach also clarified reports relating to young midfielder Dan Hannebery and the suggestion that the club was unhappy with his off-field behaviour.
“It was reported that I actually sat down and spoke to him last year, which I didn’t do,” Longmire said.
“Dean Moore our Football Manager and Dennis Carroll (Player Welfare and Development Manager) had a chat to him last year about half-way through the season just to make sure that he continued to apply himself to his footy and to keep being mindful of that, which he was doing and he ended up having an All-Australian season.
“That was the response from Hanners in regards to that conversation.”
He also discussed Swans veteran Ryan O’Keefe and the role he expected him to play this season.
“The same thing was said about Brad Sewell at Hawthorn at different times last year and he was able to come back and make a real impact and we’re still confident that Ryan can do that,” Longmire said.
“He got a late reprieve going into that game in round one with Kieren Jack being out injured, he came back into the team and then last week he played more of the Jude Bolton-type role across our forward line.
“We still think he’s got a bit to offer this year.”
