Sydney are already walking an AFL finals tightrope and Luke Parker believes it is bringing out their best in clutch moments.
The Swans, who face Melbourne on Friday night at the MCG, are one win outside the top eight.
They have hit form after a horror 0-6 start to the season, winning six of their past seven games.
The most recent were nail-biting comeback triumphs over Richmond and Essendon.
The evenness of the competition means Sydney risk missing out on September football if they don't continue to bank premiership points.
Parker noted there was plenty for his side to work on following a one-point win over the Bombers that was only secured when they scored 20 points in the final 270 seconds.
But the hard-nosed midfielder was thrilled with his teammates' desperation when it mattered most at the SCG.
"They're the things that really test you, those games. It was great to see the character we have in our playing group, to not go back into shells when it gets a bit tough," Parker said.
"That's the thing that stands up in finals.
"From now on in, it is going to be like a finals-like game for the rest of the season ... if we drop a few games it will probably cost us (a place in finals).
"It encourages us to play desperate footy and fight to the death. The last few weeks, that's what we've had to do to get the win."
Parker added Sydney failed to handle similar moments well earlier this year and also during last year's march to the grand final.
"Last year it probably cost us a little bit, at crucial times we lost games in the last five minutes," he said.
"Even at the start of this season (they lost a close match against Collingwood). So it's good that our game-state stuff has really turned around.
"We've trained that a fair bit ... you've got to keep drilling it in because if you just drift for a second you can cost the team and you can cost us the game.
"Hopefully the boys can find a bit extra in those desperate moments, knowing what is on the line."
Former captain Jarrad McVeigh and Zak Jones, who has been among the club's best in good times and bad this year, are both set to return against the Demons.
McVeigh, who tweaked his hamstring in round eight, played his comeback match in the seconds last Friday. Jones has served a one-match suspension.
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