In this week's Game Plan, Swans forward coach, Henry Playfair, talks about the ups and downs of the forward line last week and how they plan to take on the Port Adelaide defence on Saturday...

There is no doubt that last round’s match against Fremantle was a game of two halves, particularly in the forward line.

The first half we were really good in terms of providing a contest and marking the ball inside our forward line, but unfortunately the second half was the opposite. We only took one mark inside 50 in the second half, which was a combination of our ball use inside 50 along with the work rate and positioning of the forwards. 

One thing we will certainly take out of the Fremantle match is that the players now know that it takes a lot of pressure to win games at an AFL level. At one stage we were 40 points up in the second term, but what we found was as soon as we dropped off the pressure even just slightly, it allowed the opposition to get back into the game.

Last week’s match was a hard game for the forwards, particularly in that second half, but that’s the way it’s going to be every week. It’s important that the group, particularly the less-experienced players, understand that the pressure we applied in the first half is the standard we need, and it’s important to never let up that pressure.

A couple of younger players who have really shown promise up forward are Sam Reid and Gary Rohan.  I’ve been impressed with their progression over the summer and the amount they’ve learnt and just their willingness to compete and front up every day and work hard. I thought the first half on Saturday certainly showed what they were capable of. They are both still young, so the next step is to be able to continue that type of intensity for four quarters. If they keep going at this rate, over time they’ll end up being the players they want to be.

While the performance of our up-and-coming talent is important, we also value the contribution of our experienced players.

We were happy to welcome back Ryan O’Keefe to the forward line last week. While Ryan probably didn’t have the impact he would have liked to have in his first game back in terms of possessions, the team know that his game encapsulates so much more.

For the younger guys who are only 20 and may have played only 20 games between them, Ryan is a massive help with his leadership and his voice, which are both a massive part of his game.

Looking ahead to our match against Port Adelaide, the Power have certainly improved in a lot of areas. Their contested ball count has improved and they have really improved their hit around the ball.

As forwards, we always tailor a few things depending on our opposition, but this week we’ll really be going out there and playing our natural set-ups and playing the way we want to play and try and not be dictated by Port too much.