But there's been few, if any times, in John Longmire's five years in charge of the Swans that his side has looked as vulnerable as it does right now.

Perhaps this had been coming. Sydney hadn't really turned on anything like their best since their last meeting with Hawthorn back in round eight. They'd lost to Richmond, and their last three wins had been relatively narrow escapes against North Melbourne, Port Adelaide and Brisbane.

But Sydney's 89-point smashing at the hands of nemesis Hawthorn wasn't just a wake-up call, but a bucket of cold water and a few slaps around the cheeks to go on with.

This was the heaviest defeat Sydney have endured in Longmire's 114 games in charge, worse even than last year's 10-goal grand final drubbing. But in a sense, while the stakes that day were considerably higher, this one was even more disturbing.

Last September's disaster, however costly the consequences, appeared an aberration - a day, albeit the most important of the year, on which Sydney simply didn't come to play. Saturday night's shellacking seemed to be more about systematic failures, certainly in comparison to the opponent.

Read some key statistics from the game and you'd think the margin was surely a misprint. Sydney lost the inside 50 count to the Hawks by just one. The Swans had more of the ball, won the clearances and contested possession counts, and laid more tackles.

But Hawthorn make every touch count, particularly inside their forward 50. By comparison, the Swans routinely butcher the football. And their forward line is a complete shambles.

Kurt Tippett is threatening to become one of the biggest "busts" modern recruiting has seen. By the time he came from the field injured in the last quarter on Saturday, Sydney was shot to ribbons, but so must have been Tippett's self-belief. He'd had just eight touches for the game and hadn't taken a single mark, let alone kick a goal.

Nearly two seasons down the track, the combination of Tippett and Lance Franklin still fails to convince, the pair seldom looking comfortable as a tandem, the Swans still very "Buddy-centric" due to Tippett's ordinary form.

And while Tippett's inability to exert any defensive pressure once the ball hits the ground has always been a liability, coupled with Sydney's lack of a defensive-minded small forward, it's an even more critical weakness.

Hawthorn have Cyril Rioli, Luke Breust and Paul Puopolo performing that role. Fremantle have Michael Walters and Hayden Ballantyne. The closest the Swans have come recently to a similar type is Gary Rohan, and his absence over the past two games has been damaging indeed.

Sydney's depth has begun to look questionable, but nowhere more so than up forward. Dean Towers and Daniel Robinson have been given a crack of late and in 11 collective games have managed four goals between them. Ruckman Mike Pyke, who at stages has looked capable near goal, has this year kicked one.

Earlier this season the Swans were getting decent returns from midfielders such as Luke Parker and Josh Kennedy playing forward. That avenue has dried up as well. Parker is still third on the goal-kicking list with 15, but has just five in his last seven games.

And Lewis Jetta, who in the premiership year of 2012 managed nearly two goals per game, has been too busy in 2015 running around the back of packs collecting easy touches to have booted any more than eight.

The lack of both forward pressure and firepower is best reflected in three damning statistics. Over the past month, Sydney ranks only 12th for points scored. The Swans are just 12th for scores created from turnovers. And in terms of efficiency, the picture is even more dismal, with a ranking of 17th for goals from forward entries compared to their opposition.

With Tippett doubtful for next week with a hand injury, Pyke still missing, and Rohan still a fortnight away, the Swans couldn't have picked a worse time to be heading west to play boom team West Coast.

The run home becomes substantially easier after that potential nightmare. But after weeks of doing just enough to get the four points, on Saturday night the reality of where Sydney currently sits relative to the very best was laid bare for the football world to see.

When the Swans were humiliated by Hawthorn last grand final day, Longmire and his coaching group could take cold comfort in the fact that while the ignition simply refused to start, at least all the necessary parts of the engine were there.

On Saturday night, the motor did turn over, the indicators of effort as black-and-white as a mileage chart. What's of far more concern now is the impression after this pasting that in terms of potency, this was a Mini Minor doing battle with a footballing Ferrari.

And while I'm at it ...

The tributes to the late Phil Walsh have flowed freely for a fortnight, each articulate, heartfelt and moving. But one of the most important might actually have been the four quarters played at Adelaide Oval on Sunday.

Walsh, as has been recalled, was passionate about many things, but none more so than the beauty of the game he made his life. And Sunday's nail-biting showdown between his two former clubs couldn't have provided a better example of everything good about the indigenous code.

Nor could it have been better-timed in terms of the bigger picture. It may not alter the overall landscape of too much congestion and scrapfests, and scores lower than we've seen for nearly 50 years. In fact, we got a few more of those over the weekend, Geelong's slogging win over the Western Bulldogs on Saturday, and Melbourne and Brisbane on Sunday at the MCG combining for just 12 goals in perfect conditions.

But when the game opens up, it can still be a terrific spectacle. And that was most definitely the case between the Crows and the Power, just the fourth time in 135 games this season that both teams have passed the 100-point mark.

This was another hugely emotional occasion, and at the end of it, pretty much curtains for Port Adelaide in terms of this year's finals, amazing considering how many tipped the Power pre-season to at worst reach the grand final.

For Adelaide, whose devastation at the loss of their coach was painfully apparent as almost an entire team trudged off Domain Stadium in Perth last week weeping freely, this was a performance that will never be forgotten.

The Crows, who were struggling to stay afloat even before Walsh's death, would have been forgiven for collapsing in a drained heap. But this win puts them back in the top eight. And while Adelaide has a toughish run home, it's not like most of their other rivals for the last couple of spots in September are a whole lot more reliable.

The midfield is beginning to click again, Scott Thompson outstanding against the Power, Richard Douglas finding some form, and ruckman Sam Jacobs in tremendous touch. So did the forward line regain a bit of potency, with targets Taylor Walker, Josh Jenkins and Tom Lynch combining for eight goals.

Adelaide may still make it. Port Adelaide won't, but the Power more than did their bit on Sunday to honour a great servant of the club.

Both teams turned on a brilliant spectacle of which their former coach would have been proud. Let's hope we see a few more of them before this season is done.

The Last Word

THE YIPS

Joe Daniher's extraordinary miss from inside the goalsquare on Friday night would have a few years back prompted much falling off lounge chairs. These days, it just prompts a resigned shrug of the shoulders.

We've asked before, but why is it that with the game full-time and individual skills more finely honed than ever, the art of putting the ball through the two big sticks seems to have regressed? On the weekend, 11 of 18 teams finished with more behinds than goals.

Indeed, Collingwood and West Coast finished with a ridiculous 18.35 between them. Maybe it's time for a bit less focus on positioning and running patterns, and a bit more on the game's most fundamental skill.

THE HOPE

You couldn't find a clash more low-key than Saturday's NEAFL curtain raiser at Metricon Stadium between Gold Coast and GWS. But it was the stage for not one but a couple of feel-good stories in the performances of the Suns' Harley Bennell and the Giants' Jonathan Patton. Bennell's first hit-out since those photos of his alleged substance abuse was a cracker with 37 disposals. And double knee victim Patton took a huge step in his comeback with seven goals. Bennell, hopefully should return to the senior lineup next weekend. And Patton may yet prove pivotal to the finals plans of GWS. The best of luck to them both.

THE FLASHBACK

The old-timers among us well recall one of the game's great goals, an eff ort in the 1981 second semi-final when Carlton's Peter Bosustow threw himself across the boot of Geelong's Ian Nankervis, smothered the attempted clearing kick and snapped truly from deep in a forward-pocket. Gary Ablett had the déjà vu flowing freely on Saturday when the Gold Coast champion came from right angles to meet oncoming Giants Nick Haynes, calmly picked the ball off the defender's boot, gathered the spoils and dribbled through a goal from 30 metres. It was epic stuff from a maestro right back to his best. But when it comes to Ablett, should we ever be surprised?

THE EXCITEMENT

Speaking of smothers, it was hard to top the one pulled off by the Western Bulldogs' Stewart Crameri on Saturday. With Geelong's Steve Johnson set to stroll into an open goal, Crameri came from seemingly nowhere to deny Stevie J the easiest of conversions. It was thrilling stuff.

So we thought, anyway. Evidently not Channel 7, however, with the description of the big moment called with all the animation of a boundary throw-in. We've noticed a trend of low crowd volume and, let's say, understated commentary of late. Maybe that's a reaction to previous attempts to break the hyperbole meter. But isn't there balance there somewhere between the two extremes?