AFL 2024: Sydney Swans players had meeting after Port Adelaide loss, voiced their personal concerns, galvanised team ahead of finals, Ollie Florent comments, latest news

An all-together airing-out has galvanised Sydney ahead of a crucial finals campaign.

Skilful winger Ollie Florent says the meet — following the Swans’ 112-point loss to Port Adelaide — saw players express feelings about their everyday lives.

Instead of drilling down on game-style shortcomings, the all-in was focused on individual concerns away from the game and ‘filling up your cup’.

Watch every game until the 2024 AFL Grand Final LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial today >

Since the Round 21 humiliation — which capped five losses in a six-game stretch — Sydney has won back-to-back contests, including overrunning Essendon last Friday night, to preserve its status as ladder leaders with one home-and-away match remaining.

Only one premier in VFL/AFL history — Carlton in 1945 — has suffered a defeat of 100-plus points and gone on to win the flag in the same season.

“It was a really tough week, obviously,” Florent told foxfooty.com.au of the days following that forgettable outing at Adelaide Oval.

“Losing by that much is never a good thing, (but) to the group’s credit, to come in the next week and put that behind us, just move on, and have a really clear focus into next week (was pleasing).”

The Swans’ belting at the hands of the Power was the biggest in AFL history by a side sitting on top of the ladder, but Florent said the defeat didn’t feel that debilitating — going on to detail the playing group’s coming-together.

“(But) I think just the energy (the week after) — it didn’t actually feel like we lost by that much,” he continued.

“We caught up, all together, and talked it out — everyone spoke their feelings.

“‘How’s everyone going?’ Some blokes were struggling, some were better than others — we were just able to unpack it and move on.”

After Sydney’s loss to Port, coach John Longmire made the decision to grant his disciples a couple of days off before returning to the club in preparation for Collingwood that upcoming Friday.

It was upon their return to Moore Park that the players gathered to voice their thoughts — with the topics of those discussions kept to life outside of football.

“It was basically blokes just speaking how they feel around everyday life — non-football, just ‘how are you going?’ and ‘what’s filling up your cup?’” Florent told foxfooty.com.au.

“Blokes were doing stuff that was taking … I’m not putting this down to losing, but our mindset going into the week after (was) ‘do some things that will fill up your cup’.

“We were able to do that after a couple of days off.”

Asked if the initiative reinvigorated the playing group ahead of a testing finals series, the 26-year-old former first-round pick was categorical.

“Definitely,” Florent stated. “I think we couldn’t have got any worse, so to stick fat with this group is something that I’m really enjoying.

“It’s not always highs; we’re able to come out of the lows together (and that) is something that I really enjoy about football — having the friendships that we’ve all got.”

Florent’s Swans made it consecutive wins last Friday, but it took a supercharged effort in the second half after another sluggish start.

“It was simply work-rate,” he said of the discrepancy in performance.

“They were beating us at the ball, groundballs all around the ground — we were coughing it up a little bit, and it allowed their out-number to come into play.

“(The directive) was basically just get over with them, get to the contest, and go the other way.”

Florent was one of Sydney’s catalysts for victory last Friday, recording 23 disposals at 83 per cent efficiency, 10 marks, five inside-50s and a goal playing an influential wing role.

But despite the win, the Swans have now lost 14 of 22 first quarters this season — and the 164-gamer was none the wiser as to why that trend has persisted throughout the year.

“If you knew the answer you’d be a rich man,” he joked. “We didn’t feel out of the game, we just felt that it was the scoreboard pressure that was really (evident) in the first quarter.

“I think we’ve just got to rock up and keep fighting — teams are going to come out and hunt us, and we have the right to go at them as well, so we just need to have that proactive mindset.”

The Swans sit one game and healthy percentage ahead of second-placed Port Adelaide heading into a Round 24 meeting with the Crows at the SCG — but while their status as minor premier is all but sewn-up, Longmire won’t rest any big names ahead of a gruelling September stretch.