JOHN Longmire says the Swans will take positives out of their last match against Geelong as they prepare to host the premiers in a blockbuster at ANZ Stadium this Saturday night.
In the round five clash at Skilled Stadium, Geelong scored heavily in the back-end of the final quarter to extend their lead and post a comfortable 42-point win. But Longmire says it's proof the Swans are not far off matching the premiers.
"Last time we played them we lost ... but we were within 10 points of them with 10 minutes to go. So we were in the game," Longmire said on Wednesday.
"The last couple of times we've played Geelong we've been in the hunt at different times in the game. It's just about being a bit more consistent," said Longmire.
This is a vital game for the Swans who are hanging onto fourth spot on percentage from North Melbourne. The Kangaroos play 10th-placed Carlton this weekend in another cracking game.
As for preparations, Longmire said the team would not do anything differently for the Geelong match, adding that while they acknowledge the Cats are the benchmark, "it's also about us and what we do well.
"The message to the players is to focus on what we do well. We've played some good, positive footy against them in the past."
Longmire noted that last week's thriller against Fremantle, a four-point comeback victory in the shadows of the final siren, showed the Swans are regaining some form after a mini-slump which saw them 1-4 going into last weekend.
"Our pressure has been down and our general flow and ball movement has been down a bit so it was good we got some of that back.
"Last week's game should have given us confidence we can play the sort of footy we know we can," he said.
In-form attacking midfielder Jarred Moore (14 goals this year) echoed Longmire's comments, saying the side cannot fall back into bad habits.
"We've struggled over the season to play four quarters of footy, which may be a lack of concentration at times.
"We know we can do it for big parts of the game, we have just got to make sure we do it for the entire game," Moore said.
Longmire was quizzed on whether the Swans will watch the Collingwood v Geelong video from round nine, a game which saw the Pies win by 86 points and inflict the only defeat on the Cats this season.
He smiled and said, "We might cast our eyes over it."
In team news, Nick Malceski is expected to be named in the senior side for the Geelong game after a hitout in the reserves last week while Leo Barry is still battling a hamstring complaint.