Sydney Swan Ryan O’Keefe said tonight’s game taught the home team a valuable lesson - if you give good teams a chance, they will take it.

Following a crucial O’Keefe goal, the Swans led by five points with less than two minutes to go, before Hawthorn hit back with two quick goals to steal the game from the Swans by seven points.

Speaking after the match, O’Keefe said the Swans had the chance to take out the match but couldn’t contain the Hawks forward momentum.

“We knew it was not long (to go) and we tried to get numbers back, but we needed to ice it and get a good contest in the middle and (Hawthorn) just got it forward,” he said.

“They are a quality side and throughout the whole night we knew they were going to come back at us and any mistake that you make, good sides make you pay and that’s what they did.”

But rather than dwelling on the loss, O’Keefe said tonight’s close contest was the perfect preparation for the Swans ahead of the finals’ series.

He said the match would give the team’s younger players experience in how to respond in high-pressure matches.

“It was a ferocious game and it was really hot early, and we’d rather that coming into finals - these types of games,” he said.

“It gives guys who probably haven’t played a whole lot of finals that taste.

“It means that when it comes to the crunch, that it’s not a huge jump in intensity.”

Speaking to SwansTV after the match, Swans co-captain Jarrad McVeigh said he agreed with O’Keefe’s sentiment and said while tonight’s match was disappointing, there was a lot the team could take from the match.

“We got in front with about a minute to go and we lost a crucial centre bounce and they kicked two goals within the minute and then lost the game.

“After such a good start then allowing them back into it was disappointing, but we can take the fact that we’re not far away.

McVeigh said despite falling short by seven points, the result was evidence that the Swans could compete with the top sides in the competition.

“It was unfortunate in the end, but we know we can compete,” McVeigh said.

“(The post-match message) was pretty positive, and just said that we have to get it back on pretty quickly and get into our review on Monday, and then onto Geelong to really have a crack again.

“We can certainly learn from the last minute about what to do structurally and things like that, but it’s nothing to be concerned about and we’ll get another crack at them in a few weeks’ time.”

Click on the video player above to watch Jarrad McVeigh speak to SwansTV after today's match

McVeigh said the team will now look ahead to next week’s clash with Geelong at Simonds Stadium.

“We just have to bring (to Geelong) the effort that we brought for the first quarter in the whole game like our pressure, because that sets up our whole game.”