Routine is important to Swans’ defender Ted Richards.

Whether his next task is playing on Hawk Buddy Franklin or the Saints’ Nick Riewoldt, Richards said the way he goes about planning for the challenge doesn’t change.

“I try not to change my preparations week-to-week,” Richards told sydneyswans.com.au.

“What I do is I sit down with Johnny Blakey, our defensive coach, and just do some one-on-one time with him.

“We look at 1: how (our opposition) move the ball and how they try and get the ball to my opponent and 2: really focus in on how my direct opponent and how he works to get the ball himself and what he does when the ball is in the air and what he does when the ball is on the ground.

“I then write down as many notes as I can and re-read them so I’ve got them in the back of my mind and then once we get to training I start to practice what I think is going to be happening on the weekend.

“Then I try and act on that as best as I can.”

Richards’ methodical preparations have served him well so far this season, keeping Franklin to just one goal in the Swans’ round five win over the Hawks in Launceston and standing out as one of the Swans’ most reliable players in the back half.

The defender’s next challenge will be Saints’ duo Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke in this weekend’s clash with St Kilda at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Richards has crossed paths with the two big men a number of times in his AFL career, with the three players all in the same draft in 2000.

While the defender’s history has been predominantly good against the Saints, including keeping Riewoldt to just one goal in last year’s Elimination Final, Richards said previous form doesn’t mean much looking ahead to the next contest.

“All I reckon is you learn from your previous experiences of playing on opponents, but apart from that it won’t help you much going into the next weekend,” he said.

“For example I know that both Koschitzke and Riewoldt are very athletic.

“Riewoldt covers the ground so well and is always so strong and leads so well and Koschitzke is just a sensational contested mark.

“He’s just got this ability to take big pack marks.

“I know those things, but at the same time, whatever has happened in the past isn’t really going to change what happens on the weekend.”

Richards won’t be alone in the challenge this weekend, with Swans’ talls Heath Grundy and Alex Johnson likely to take turns countering the Saints’ tall forwards.

Richards said the Swans’ defence’s ability to play as a unit, rather than individuals, has been part of the team’s successful start to the 2012 season.

“The backline operates really well as a team within a team,” Richards said.

“We’re quite close outside of the club too, so I think that really helps.

“One thing we really try to do is help each other, whether it be a small like Nick Smith helping Heath Grundy on a taller opponent or myself trying to help Rhyce Shaw on a smaller opponent.

“We really view us as not six lots of one-on-one match-ups, but rather six-on-six.”