THE SYDNEY Swans' much vaunted leadership group doesn't believe the off-field distractions that have surfaced this year are having any impact on the club's winless start to 2014.

Swans premiership player Tadhg Kennelly expressed his view after the side's loss to Collingwood on Saturday that all the media coverage since Lance Franklin's arrival was "taking a toll" on the players.

But coach John Longmire, who is in constant contact with co-captains Kieren Jack and Jarrad McVeigh and the rest of the leadership group, denies that is the case.

"That hasn't been a view that's been expressed by the players and the leaders in particular," he said.

"It's really been an issue that came to a head after the GWS loss in round one.

"The leaders haven't expressed that to be an issue with me, and they're certainly looking at our own individual performances first and foremost and then the team aspects from there on in."

Rather than hitting the panic button, Longmire believes his side is making progress as it tries to recapture some form.

The Swans regularly turned the ball over with poor kicking into their forward line against the Pies, particularly when the game was on the line, something Longmire said would be a focus in training.

"Our last quarter against GWS we got well beaten in contested ball," he said.

"On the weekend, we did a lot of work that was OK, but didn't have the composure going forward that we did for the previous three quarters.

"That's the thing that really hurt us. We didn't give ourselves a chance to score by lack of composure going forward."

As it did throughout his final season at Hawthorn, debate continues over Franklin's best position, either close to goal or further up the ground.

The key forward has spent plenty of time well away from the forward line during his short time in Sydney and Longmire said his role would alternate depending on the opposition.

"I thought he improved again and his role will vary depending on the team's needs," he said.

"He got up and his work up the ground was pretty good and then he went deep and his pressure when he was outnumbered a number of times was terrific to keep the ball in our front half.

"It'll just depend upon where we see him in a particular game.

"We thought the work he did was pretty good."

Twitter: @AFL_JD