Rhyce Shaw says Sydney are up to the formidable challenge of winning at Geelong, as they battle to secure a top two AFL spot and play another finals-type match before September.

The Hawks' seven-point win over Sydney in a classic contest at a sold out SCG on Saturday night enabled them to leapfrog the Swans into top spot.

A win at Geelong next Saturday could still secure top spot for Sydney if Hawthorn lose to West Coast at the MCG the previous night, but a loss to the Cats could tip them out of the top two.

"It's all about momentum and if we can get some momentum going into the finals, that's the main thing," Shaw said.

The Swans will return to the scene of one of their greatest wins in recent times following last year's emotional 13-point victory over Geelong, which occurred just days after the death of the baby daughter of Sydney co-captain Jarrad McVeigh.

It was Geelong's first loss at home in four years and 30 matches, and Shaw was adamant Sydney would have no problem reproducing the intensity that produced the 2011 victory.

"No, I don't think so, I think our group is pretty strong minded and we now what we have to do this week and how we have to go about it and we're up for that challenge," Shaw told reporters on Sunday.

Shaw acknowledged the finals had effectively started two weeks early for Sydney, given the battle for a top two spot and the teams they were playing.

"You continue to thrive on those occasions, that's when you find your best footy and hopefully we can do that," Shaw said.

The SCG encounter with Hawthorn lived up to expectations, with the lead changing hands several times in the closing minutes, after the Hawks overturned a 38-point second quarter deficit to lead at three-quarter time.

"We know we've got the skill and the aptitude to go with those (leading) sides," Shaw said.

"We know we're good enough, it's just playing good enough for long enough."

Shaw said he wasn't surprised by the influence exerted by returning Hawthorn key forward Lance Franklin, who kicked 4.3 in his first game in seven weeks.

"Because he is a fantastic player and we really respect the way he goes about it and he showed last night what a great player he is," Shaw said.