IT'S the oldest trick in the book when it comes to beating the Swans - grab some witches' hats and simulate a small ground such as the SCG. Geelong did it three weeks ago with success and Carlton tried the same trick last week and got the win.

So Swans coach John Longmire decided yesterday to see if the reverse could help bring to an end his team's two-game losing run when they tackle the Western Bulldogs in Canberra tomorrow. He moved training from the SCG to a larger venue - Lakeside Oval outside the SCG - to help his players adapt to Manuka Oval. Manuka is 162.5m by 138m compared to the SCG's 151.5m by 136m. It also got the team away from the sodden cricket pitch area.

''The wicket at the SCG was pretty wet,'' Longmire said. ''We've had some wet games here the last couple and training sessions have also been pretty wet with the amount of rain we have had. So we thought we would take the opportunity to give it every chance to dry out as much as we could. And the other opportunity is also that Manuka is a similar dimension to this ground we are training on today.''

Earlier this week SCG Trust chairman Rodney Cavalier said his ground would not have a drop-in wicket like the MCG to handle all the winter football traffic.

''There is no question in an ideal world we would have a drop-in wicket,'' Longmire said. ''But the SCG have made it pretty clear that's not what they are going to have, so we deal with it.''

Longmire made three changes to the team beaten by Carlton last Friday for the clash with the Bulldogs. Heath Grundy returns after missing last week through illness, defender Alex Johnson comes into the team and youngster Nathan Gordon makes his debut. Missing is the injured Kieren Jack, while Jesse White and Paul Bevan have been dropped. ''Nathan is a fantastic runner so we looked at the ground this week and Manuka is a big ground,'' Longmire said. ''We're against a really hard-running team so we need another runner to come into the team.