Sydney coach John Longmire says top spot in the AFL counts for nothing at this stage of the year and views next Saturday’s away clash with fellow high-fliers West Coast as an opportunity to get better.

The Swans (11-3) became the latest team to occupy first place following a convincing 16.14 (110) to 9.9 (63) win over Brisbane at the SCG on Saturday.

Another finals appearance now looks a formality for Sydney, but an impassive Longmire didn’t display a single flicker of excitement about Sydney moving into the penthouse atop the AFL ladder.

“It’s just a bit of reward for effort in the short term, but (it means) nothing in the long term,” Longmire told reporters.

“If you sit back and look at the ladder it doesn’t mean a lot because we’ve probably still got to win another game or two before you know you are in the finals.”

West Coast (11-3) trail Sydney by percentage and next weekend’s summit clash is likely to spark a renewal of the rivalry between the two clubs that peaked with their classic contests in the 2005 and 2006 grand finals.

“It’s a solid road trip, but we’ve had some good wins there, we’ve had some disappointing times there as well,” Longmire said about playing in Perth.

“But we look forward to the opportunity of getting over there and playing one of the best teams in the competition.

“We think as a footy team we can get better. We know we have to.

“We know we have to keep improving if we are going to be competitive against some of the best teams in the competition and I think next week is a good opportunity to try and do that, because West Coast Eagles are a great football team.”