SYDNEY Swans coach John Longmire says interstate rivalry and the hostility that goes with it is what playing finals football is all about.

The Swans were greeted by a choir at Adelaide Airport on Friday, which sang Adelaide's team song when the Swans arrived ahead of their qualifying final on Saturday.

The choir sang both verses of the Crows' song several times as Swans players gathered their luggage and departed for their hotel.

It wasn't the most intimidating of welcoming committees and, judging by the looks on the players' faces, the overriding emotion was embarrassment rather than fear.

But the stunt certainly got a reaction and came after legendary dual premiership coach Malcolm Blight said that the key to interstate finals success was to embrace the hostility.

Longmire said that was exactly what his side hoped to do on Saturday afternoon.

"I hope they're (the choir) as supportive of us tomorrow, no doubt they will be and that's what playing interstate's all about," Longmire said.

"From the moment you land there's that bit of rivalry and it just gets greater and greater building up to game time.

"It'll be a little bit harder confronting the players that we'll confront tomorrow on the ground, but [it was] not a bad welcome to start with."

With a vocal pro-Adelaide crowd expected to nearly fill AAMI Stadium, Longmire said the intense atmosphere was nothing to be feared - it was simply another challenge on the way to achieving something momentous.

"You can't be daunted by it because it is what it is - obviously when you go interstate for finals there's a lot on the line and we understand that," he said.

"One of the great challenges from being on the road come finals time is to play teams on their home turf and to remain competitive against quality teams and that's our aim tomorrow."

One area the Swans have an advantage over the Crows is in finals experience.

While Tommy Walsh is the only selected Swan to have never played an AFL final, Adelaide has nine.

Crows assistant coach Dean Bailey said the inexperience could work in their favour and deliver "unbridled enthusiasm", but Longmire said that as soon as the ball was bounced it wouldn't matter either way.

"Come the first bounce, you don't think  'oh jeez, I've been here before and I've done it before,' come the first bounce it's all about getting your hand on the footy and making sure you use it well," he said.

"Maybe [in] the lead up, a few of the players that have played in finals it may help them, but really, come the first bounce I don't think there's much difference."

Harry Thring is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Harry.