GOLD Coast coach Damien Hardwick believes a clear gap exists between his side and the competition's genuine contenders.
While the SUNS sought to rebound from a shock loss to Melbourne, they instead found themselves dismantled by a high-pressure system and suffocating midfield dominance that propelled Sydney to a 32-point victory at Norwood Oval.
SWANS v SUNS Full match coverage and stats
Speaking to media post-match, Hardwick offered a candid reality check for his side while acknowledging the Swans as a benchmark of the competition.
"They had a blip on the radar, I reckon, last year. They're a very good side," he said.
"We have them ranked very highly. They're playing some really good footy, and the fact of the matter is, there's a gap between us and those sides at the moment.
"I shouldn't probably say this, but I think they're a top-four quality side. Once again, they've got a really established core group of players, and play a great style of footy, and we've got to close that gap. We're not there yet."
The SUNS ultimately lost the engine room battle, with Hardwick admitting the Swans beat them at both ends of the contested ball cycle.
"Contest-wise, they were just cleaner and clearer around the contest [than] us, and they got away," he said.
"Their ability to, one, win the ball first and foremost - we couldn't exert enough pressure on them. Then [there is] the second part of the equation: when we started to win the ball, their pressure was very, very good.
"Contested ball and tackle numbers paint a story.
"I thought we hunted the ball in and around the contest, [but] we just couldn't get through them. They're big boys, and they tackle well.
"We probably could have been smarter about when to release the ball, but the fact of the matter is, they just outhunted us in that aspect of the game."
Hardwick confirmed that marquee recruit Christian Petracca is set to return from a hamstring injury for next week's clash against Essendon. The superstar will bolster the side along with Bailey Humphrey, who returns from suspension.
