After taking over from Paul Roos at the Swans in 2011, Longmire won a premiership in just his second season, followed that up with a preliminary final in 2013 and his most recent season in charge resulted in a 63-point loss to Hawthorn on grand final day.

Asked if there were still battle scars from that dark day last September, Longmire said his side was professional and resolute enough to put it behind them.

"It doesn't play on your mind," Longmire said. "The reality is grand final replays don't really exist. What happened last year – there is nothing we can do about it. They [Hawthorn] were too good for us last year and full credit to that football club. Come 2015 we have to make sure we need to do what we need to do."

Not only have Sydney fallen on the last two occasions against Alastair Clarkson's side, in last year's grand final and by 10 points in round 14, they have won only three times from their last 10 attempts against the Hawks.

It is a record which does not particularly worry Longmire who said the overall strength of Hawthorn's playing roster has been the hallmark of their success in recent years.

"I don't think we're the only team who's had a few losses against the Hawks, they've been a reasonable team over the last couple of years," Longmire said. "They won back-to-back premierships; we know they're a quality team. They played really well on the weekend and we need to play well again.

"What we need to do doesn't change as far as having to put pressure on the opposition...we have to obviously do better than what we did last time against Hawthorn."

Longmire was relieved last year's North Smith Medal winner Luke Hodge, who was suspended for three matches after striking North Melbourne's Andrew Swallow high in round five, will be out of action for the Hawks but said he was wary about the return of another star in Jordan Lewis.

Lewis will return to Hawthorn's starting line-up after a two-match ban for a hit on Todd Goldstein in the same match, while Hodge has to sit on the sidelines for one more week.

"He [Hodge] is a very good player," Longmire said. "But Jordan Lewis comes back in this week, and he's not a bad player either.

"And you look at blokes like Billy Hartung and players that they've brought in over the journey...and players they've added like James Frawley, who's another quality player. They seem to keep adding players to the list that keeps making them better, not worse."

Sydney are one of four teams with five wins this season, trailing only Fremantle who are ahead on 28 points.

Longmire said despite Fremantle's runaway start, and the poor form of Gold Coast and Carlton, this year's competition was closer than most fans would think.

"There's no doubt the competition is evening itself up," Longmire said. "During the course of the game, it [teams leading] changes so quickly from one quarter to the other, or one 10-minute block to the other. The best way to change momentum is to get your hands on the ball."