'Don't think we gave it our best shot': Longmire points to clear Swans ...

Sydney coach John Longmire was at a loss with his side’s inability to apply pressure against Brisbane, which he said was the root cause of a second grand final capitulation in three seasons.

Longmire refused to compare the 60-point defeat to the Swans’ previous grand final appearance against Geelong as he defended the decision to pick Logan McDonald, who was subbed out shortly after halftime.

He said the Swans’ pressure rating of 158 – the third-lowest of a grand final team since the records began in 2011 – had cost them badly as Brisbane was allowed to score freely throughout the game.

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“Clearly disappointed … I don’t think we gave it our best shot, compared to what we’ve been doing,” Longmire said after the game.

“We didn’t seem to move to the level we’ve been moving at with the ball. We didn’t seem to use it well enough. We blasted it away a bit too much, didn’t use our numbers around the footy … and then were beaten at ground level.”

John Longmire, Senior Coach of the Swans looks dejected after the AFL Grand Final match between Sydney Swans and Brisbane Lions at Melbourne Cricket Ground, on September 28, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

He said McDonald had done “everything he was required to do 100 per cent” in the lead up to the game but the Swans coaches had “needed to make a call” as he went to halftime with only a single possession.

Joel Amartey and Hayden McLean also went goalless with seven disposals apiece, but Longmire stopped short of saying the Swans needed to target key forwards ahead of next season.

“That’s one of the areas … I think we got beaten in the midfield today, which was one of our strengths. We didn’t have many winners today, in front of the ball, or at the source.”

Longmire praised victorious Brisbane coach Chris Fagan, who he called an “A-grade quality person”, and lauded the Lions’ efforts to win three consecutive interstate games to seal the flag.

He said the pre-finals bye, which meant the Swans’ preparation only included two games in the last month, had not helped their cause.

“Look, I’m not going to put it down to that, but (the bye is) not the advantage it once was,” he said.