SYDNEY'S 53-point loss to Narrm on Sunday afternoon cannot be put down to its extensive injury list. Instead, it is a result of inconsistency, and an inability to put together a well-rounded performance.

The Demons dominated the game, winning the contested possession count by 27, and the disposals by 67, simply not allowing the Swans to get their hands on the footy.

DEMONS v SWANS Full match coverage and stats

"We were beaten badly around the contest," Sydney coach Dean Cox said following the defeat.

"Obviously, that led to inside 50s, we'd try and dig it out of our back half, they'd win the contest across their half-forward line, and get it back inside 50 … A lot of (Narrm's) experienced mids were tougher, cleaner, harder, and probably even a lot of the periphery players as well."

Where the Demons cashed in on the work of their on-field leaders, the Swans struggled to achieve the same result. While injuries to some key players have marred the side's season to date, experienced trio Chad Warner, Isaac Heeney, and James Rowbottom have been available, generally operating as the main midfield rotation.

"(It's) nothing to do with injuries. This is about the way we're playing, and at the minute, we are inconsistent in facets of our game," Cox said.

"We're good for a period, we drop away the next time, and something else comes to be okay. We are not putting it together, and we have to get back to that. That's what we spoke about straight after the game. That's on all of us that were in that room, and we have to change that."

Sydney gave up 22 shots on goal off the back of turnover, allowing the Demons to record 73 intercepts for the match, largely a result of its aggressive intent to move the ball through the corridor, but inability to effectively execute that movement.

"Some of the spots that we turned the ball over, they deserved to be scored against, so you want to make sure you find the correct method and mode between where you do want to go and when you pull it off, and also who's kicking it in certain areas," Cox said.

"We have principles around the way we want to move the ball, on top of that, it's among each player as well. They know where they sit within that and at times that can be energy sapping when you do go for it and turn it over and give the opposition team a little bit of momentum."

Cox will potentially be without captain Callum Mills after just his first game of the season due to a high bump on Demon Charlie Spargo. The first-year coach has already had to contend with four player suspensions before the mid-season bye.

"Didn't really get a good look at it, but that's going to be taken now out of our hands, so the AFL will deal with that the way it is. But you know, like I've said, we want to make sure our players play within the rules at all times," Cox said.

Narrm coach Simon Goodwin confirmed that, although he was subbed out, Spargo passed his head injury assessment after the game was paused to get him from the ground.

"You saw the system at play today. The doc was out there trying to get an assessment done on field, didn't quite find that we had enough time, so we had the ability to stop the game to try and get him off to make that assessment," Goodwin said.

"I think as an industry we're growing."

The head knock follows a recent concussion to former captain Jack Viney, who hasn't played since copping a stray arm from West Coast's Bo Allan in round eight. Goodwin is hopeful that after completing a full training load on Sunday, Viney will return for the club's trip to Alice Springs next week.

But it was the Kozzy Pickett show on the MCG, with the dynamic midfielder/forward taking nine shots on goal – and converting five – to headline the side's highest score since round seven, 2023.

"He's outstanding. Obviously (his) ability to be in the midfield for a large part of the game, but also to influence the scoreboard, he's a pretty special talent. I think we'll put his torp away," Goodwin said with a chuckle, after the star's mis-timed attempt at a barrel skewed out on the full.

"He's just someone that we value so highly, and since he's come back into the team, you can see the type of effect that he has, and he's only going to keep getting better … he works incredibly hard. His ability to cover ground's exceptional."

There was another warm moment for the Demons, when maligned star Clayton Oliver kicked a fourth-quarter goal, and his teammates all got in on the celebrations.

"He's been through a really tough time, and he's done a hell of a job to fight back and the way he's living his life away from the club is pretty special to see, and I think the last phase we spoke about was not only working on the person, but working on him as a footballer and getting him back," Goodwin said.

"But to see the love that our supporters are giving him, his teammates giving him, and what he's giving our footy club, it's a pretty special bond that you're starting to see that's generated."