Sydney have remained in the top four despite Saturday's loss to Adelaide but next week's clash with the Western Bulldogs is looking like a tough assignment with several star players to be on the sidelines.

Dual Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes limped around the field picking up only eight possessions at the SCG on Saturday night as Adelaide climbed back into the top eight with a 11.11 (77) to Sydney's 6.17 (53) victory, led by Jason Porplyzia's five goals.

Goodes, who also struggled the previous week with groin soreness, may have also jarred his hip in Saturday night's match against the Crows. Swans coach Paul Roos has ruled the star midfielder out of Sunday's match at Canberra's Manuka Oval against premiership contenders the Bulldogs.

Fullback Leo Barry (hamstring) and defender Nick Malceski (calf) are 50-50 chances to return next week, Roos said, while Henry Playfair could miss several weeks with a hamstring injury.

Sydney hit the post six times with shots at goal on Saturday night, which Roos described as "amazing".

It was one of those nights, it was extraordinary ... six posters," Roos said.

"Kicking so many points, it just makes it so hard. Obviously that was a problem and the health of the team is a concern.

"History tells you going into this part of the year, you need to be healthy if you want to play your best footy," the 2005 premiership coach added.

"You'd be mad if you put him (Goodes) on the ground next week. He couldn't compete at all.

"Goodesy really struggled. If we hadn't had an injury to Henry, he probably would have been off the ground. It's a little bit sad to watch."

Sydney key forward Barry Hall kicked just one goal in his first game back from club and AFL Tribunal suspensions and will need to lift with full forward Michael O'Loughlin to miss again this week with an ankle injury.

"Hall wasn't great but he's going to get better obviously," Roos said of the club's six-time leading goalkicker and three-time All-Australian.

Meanwhile Adelaide coach Neil Craig said despite five consecutive losses, his players' spirits had remained high heading into their clash with the Swans.

"I'm just really proud of their persistence. The fact is they've remain upbeat because in those situations it's very easy to feel sorry for yourselves and wallow in self pity," Craig said.

"They didn't do that. They made an effort not to do that. So every Monday when we walked in you just smell that they were ready to go again.

"We copped the criticism and rightly so. So to stand up and continue to prepare to win the next game is the thing I'm most proud of."

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