Two months out from the AFL finals, defender Tadhg Kennelly says Sydney must bring September intensity to their games.

The eighth-placed Swans have lost six of their last matches and will play ninth side North Melbourne in a must-win match on Sunday at the SCG.

It follows a disappointing loss to Collingwood and last Sunday's devastating fadeout against Richmond, who rallied from five goals down to win by four points.

"For us, every game from now on is a big game - you hear clubs say that all the time, but we did say that against Collingwood and that's why we were so disappointing, not to live up to that," Kennelly said.

"When Swans players come up and say we're going to fight and scratch to get a result, we generally do.

"We haven't the last couple of weeks.

"I'm not going to sit here and say we're going to win the next eight weeks, but definitely every game we play for the next two months is a finals game.

"We're playing a team who are coming for our position."

But injuries continue to plague the slumping Swans, with Daniel Bradshaw (hamstring strain) now out for two to three weeks.

Bradshaw was returning from a knee injury when he suffered the injury at Friday training.

Henry Playfair is also out for six to eight weeks because of a back stress fracture in the second quarter against the Tigers.

As the Swans fight to stay in the top eight, Kennelly said it was vital that they go back to basics.

"We felt it (the Richmond loss) was very un-Sydney like because in the past, when teams come at us and throw challenges, we've been able to stand up and lift another gear," he said.

"We didn't do that on the weekend ... as a playing group, we take full responsibility for it.

"We need to get back to enjoying football and get back to playing football like we're kids again.

"When players are stressing and thinking about things that they should and shouldn't do ... worrying too much about the consequences of making mistakes, that's when you make a mistake generally."

Bradshaw's ongoing absence means continued pressure on Adam Goodes, Sydney's main marking target in attack.

Goodes has been out of touch, but Kennelly is confident his form will soon turn.

"Goodesy is working on it and you can see, it's coming, it's coming," he said.

"He's getting his hands on the ball and just seemed to be a bit more himself on the weekend, that's because he's working a lot harder.

"You need a lot of luck as well when you're down in football and I really think it's only a matter of time for Adam.

"(But) it's not Adam Goodes that's the problem, it's us as a group - everyone focuses on Adam."

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