The Gold Coast SUNS went down to the red-hot Sydney Swans by 35 points on Sunday, but have taken plenty out of a clash with premiership favourites with poor kicking for goal costing the home side dearly.
The GC SUNS kept Kurt Tippett and Adam Goodes goalless, while Steven May was superb on Lance Franklin, despite ‘Buddy’ finishing with three goals.
Franklin will face a nervous wait from the Match Review Panel after appearing to catch GC SUNS defender Clay Cameron high with a bump during the second quarter, while fellow power forward Tippett hobbled off late in the third quarter holding his left knee and was replaced by substitute Jake Lloyd.
It made little difference to the final outcome as the Swans proved too big, too strong and too classy in the 17.7 (109) to 10.14 (74) victory.
It was their seventh win in succession and moves them to third place, two wins behind Port Adelaide.
Longmire was relieved to leave the Gold Coast with the premiership points.
"They're not an easy team to beat anywhere, but especially not here," he said.
"They've got their strongest team of the year.
"To beat a team who has won the same games as you, virtually at full strength, we knew it would be a bit of a challenge and they keep working the opposition to the end of the game.
"It wasn't an easy one, but in the end it was a very good win."
While Sydney’s big guns were restricted, Harry Cunningham bobbed up with four and Sam Reid kicked three in the first 10 minutes of the third quarter.
But it was the midfield that laid a terrific foundation.
Daniel Hannebery was brilliant with 30 disposals, six clearances and four goal assists.
Josh Kennedy continued his white-hot form with 28 touches and two goals – one from 50m on the boundary line and the other bursting from a stoppage and finishing on the run on the stroke of three-quarter time.
For the SUNS, Gary Ablett returned from two quieter weeks to finish with 37 touches, 10 clearances and eight tackles in an enthralling duel with Ben McGlynn, who had 22, seven and nine of his own.
McGlynn left the field in a daze in the last term, after copping a knee to the head in a marking contest with Greg Broughton.
May's backline buddy Rory Thompson completely blanketed Tippett in his first game back in a month from a wrist injury.
The SUNS were gallant and lost none of the 21,354 fans who showed up, but were just a class below a premiership favourite.
Gold Coasts coach Guy McKenna said it was a big improvement on last week's loss to Adelaide.
He said the Swans' pressure was just too much to handle.
"The effort was there. If the effort was like that last week, you probably win the game against Adelaide with all due respect, but good sides like Sydney make you pay," McKenna said.
"Our ability to not find targets and hit the scoreboard … was largely due to Sydney's pressure, which is fantastic for us."
They were often wasteful in front of goal and kicked away any chance of victory in the first half, missing a number of gettable set shots.
Jaeger O'Meara (26) and Harley Bennell (22 and nine marks) were standouts for the SUNS.
Gold Coast 1.6 3.9 6.13 10.14 (74)
Sydney Swans 3.3 8.4 13.4 17.7 (109)
GOALS
Gold Coast: Dixon, Kolodjashnij 2, Cameron, Russell, Ablett, Matera, O’Meara, Lynch
Sydney Swans: Cunningham 4, Franklin, Reid 3, Jetta, Parker, Kennedy 2, Lloyd
BEST
Gold Coast: Ablett, Bennell, Thompson, May, Smith
Sydney Swans: Hannebery, Kennedy, Cunningham, McGlynn, Parker
INJURIES
Sydney Swans: Tippett (left knee)
SUBSTITUTES
Gold Coast: Matt Shaw on for Clay Cameron in the third quarter
Sydney Swans: Jake Lloyd on for Kurt Tippett at three-quarter time
Umpires: Chamberlain, McInerney, Mitchell
Crowd: 21,354
