Sydney coach John Longmire believes his side needs to become more consistent to challenge sides in 2020.

 After a slow start to the game, the Swans fought their way back into their contest, but ultimately couldn’t stick their noses in front, eventually going down by 6, 11.7 (73) to the Bombers’ 12.7 (79).

 “We talked about how important it was to get on the front foot,” Longmire said.

 “We need to make sure we get out of the blocks better than that.”

 “Once we evened it up it became more technical…but it wasn’t as consistent as what we wanted it to be.”

 A late goal from Tom Papley capped off what was a solid second quarter for the Swans - the challenge being maintaining that momentum as the game progressed.

 “We took a while to get going…we were okay at times but then dropped off at others,” Longmire said.

 “We missed some easy targets…looking for options that weren’t there”.

 Strong showings from Jake Lloyd (29 Disposals), Oliver Florent (27 Disposals) and Luke Parker (25 Disposals) made for some pockets of Swan-dominated midfield clearances, Longmire noting the importance of bringing that intensity early.

 “Once we kicked that last goal we thought we were a genuine chance, unfortunately, the ball went their way and they kicked a great goal from the boundary line,” Longmire said.

 “You can’t afford to leave it up to luck in this game, you need to take the initiative earlier in the game.”

 The game wasn’t without positive takeaways for the red and white, with Tom Papley and new recruit Lewis Taylor each scoring 3 goals. Longmire and his side will look to build on this performance heading into Rd 3.