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Determined to bounce back from an AFL form slump, winning the first-quarter battle is number one on the to-do list for Sydney, defender Nick Blakey says.

It's not panic stations yet for Sydney but star defender Nick Blakey admits his side has been resting on their laurels.

Sydney slumped to their fourth defeat in five games against the Western Bulldogs, beaten by 39 points in a game where they lacked the hunt and paid the price.

The premiership favourites have so often stunned their competition with pulsating comebacks after sluggish starts this season, but it was not the case against the Bulldogs.

Held goalless at the first change and trailing by 34 points, Sydney kicked just seven goals across the game and lost every quarter.

Blakey, left frustrated after a disappointing showing at home, says winning the first-quarter battle will be key to breaking their form lull.

"It's not really good enough. We can speak about it all we want but our first quarters are really costing us," Blakey told AAP.

"We speak about it all week and then come out and be shut up in the first quarter.

"Something we pride ourselves on is, win or lose, we do it in a way that's respectable and we're never out of it.

"(Against the Bulldogs) we were out of it a long way from home."

An injury-hit Sydney were trampled in the contest last round, trailing on clearances 30 to 40 and 135 to 162 for contested possessions.

Already without key players Tom Papley and Dane Rampe, key forward Logan McDonald was thrown into defence when Lewis Melican was subbed out in the second term with a hamstring complaint.

But Blakey is refusing to blame their loss on a lack of personnel.

"It hurts and I feel for him. He's (Melican) had a lot of injury problems and he's a real important part of our team," the defender said.

"But even when he goes down, we've still got to get that job done. That's no excuse.

"It was out of our hands a bit before he went down anyway."

With four rounds left of the home-and-away season, Blakey insists there is no need to panic. The Swans still lead the league by six points.

Rampe (calf) and Melican will test to play against Port Adelaide, with midfielder James Rowbottom (cheekbone) confirmed to return.

"It's definitely not alarm bells," Blakey said.

"If you look around the competition, nearly every team has gone through form slumps.

"Our last five weeks, we're probably resting on our laurels a bit and haven't really bought that heat and scramble.

"It's on the players now to really bring it that first quarter and set the game up from there."