SYDNEY coach Dean Cox was full of praise for Logan McDonald's selfless performance in Sydney's win over Essendon on Sunday.

The Swans dominated with a 17.10 (112) to 11.10 (76) victory at the MCG and while Charlie Curnow starred with a game-high four goals, Cox said McDonald was crucial and had been pivotal for the Swans over the past month. 

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"I thought right from the start he was enormous. I thought what he created ahead of the ball gave Charlie [opportunities], and the selflessness that he played with; he's been in really good form the last four to six weeks," Cox said. 

"From not playing for a full season last year, to come into our team and play the way he is, and be really pivotal for us ahead of the ball, is great to see. 

"He's worked extremely hard on his contest work and aerial presence, and it's starting to show in games now. The players have a lot of confidence in him producing that on a regular basis.” 

At 66 goals, Curnow is eight majors ahead of Fremantle's Jye Amiss with one round to go in the race for the Coleman Medal, but the Sydney coach said his goal tally was just one of many ways the marquee recruit has contributed to the Swans' bounce back season. 

"He's been really important for our team in a number of ways, the way he plays ahead of the ball to provide an option and an avenue towards goal," said Cox.

"But then also the way he trains against other teammates, whether it be some of our defenders or the key forwards that he works alongside.

"The cohesion was always going to take a long time, but to Charlie’s credit and everyone at the footy club - Jeremy Laidler and the forwards coach - to have the patience to say this is going to click at some stage."

Sydney assistant coach Mark McVeigh is among four candidates for Essendon's next coach, along with James Hird, Jaymie Graham and Murray Davis, and a decision is imminent. 

With Sydney's finals series only three weeks away, coach Dean Cox said they are ready for the Essendon decision.

"That's one thing this football club has done well for a long period ... be ready for the unexpected or if something does arise," Cox said.

"We've had those meetings, discussions - we're really clear on what will happen if he (McVeigh) was, or wasn't, to get the position."

Meanwhile, Essendon interim coach Dean Soloman said the 18th-ranked Bombers' inability to start games well had become a pattern the club needed to urgently fix. 

"Second, third, fourth quarter - we won those three quarters by a point in the end, but it's a trend; unfortunately, our first quarters are really poor," he said.

"It's almost like we need the opposition to punch us in the face and then we get going, which is not how it works."

Despite the loss, the coach took heart from Essendon's comeback and the performance of ruck Vigo Visentini.

"Very handy with his craft, works his bum off, great character, bright future," Soloman said of the 20-year-old ruckman. 

"We’ve got one game to go, but a big pre-season again will help him ... he's had a disrupted year through injury, in and out of the VFL team, couldn't get continuity.

I think he played two, maybe three VFL games. But he's showing some signs for sure."