SYDNEY Swans coach Paul Roos says his side doesn’t have the talent to afford the skill errors that plagued its 53-point loss to Geelong at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.

The Swans had more scoring shots than the Cats in the first half but they failed to convert their opportunities and the reigning premier duly made them pay with an eight-goal third quarter.

Roos said he was happy that the players responded to his call for an improved effort after the round 17 debacle against Melbourne but he lamented the persistent turnovers and missed set shots.

“Both sides were really competitive around the footy but the difference was we couldn’t use the ball as well as they did. When we turned it over, they made us pay ... against a good team, you just can’t do that,” he said.

“Unfortunately the scoreboard probably didn’t reflect the type of game it was but when one team kicks 20.5 and the other kicks 9.18, that’s what happens.

“You get emotional during the game ... but we’ve got six of our best players out at the moment. You’ve got to reflect firstly on the effort and the effort was there tonight, but the difference in the talent level is just too vast at the moment.”

Steve Johnson’s six-goal, 25-possession game exemplified the disparity in skill between the two sides. Roos said defender Nick Smith, who curtailed Johnson’s output in round seven, was sorely missed.

Adam Goodes (three goals) provided a target but Roos offered some rare public criticism of fellow key forward Jesse White, suggesting he needed to physically impose himself on more contests.

“It’s certainly something that we’ve been harping [on] at him about. At some point, you don’t treat them as a young player,” he said.

“If you get told a hundred times, you’d better start doing it at some point or someone else does. That’s the reality of how footy goes.

“He does need to do it a little bit quicker than what he’s learning at the moment.”

Asked if he thought his side would just be making up the numbers in September, Roos responded by singing the praises of top-four certainties Geelong, Collingwood and St Kilda.

He also suggested Fremantle and Hawthorn still posed a threat despite their respective recent form plateaus, before concluding “there are probably a couple that will make up the numbers, yeah.”

The obvious inference was that if the Swans lose their next two clashes against the Hawks (at the SCG) and Fremantle (Subiaco), they could well be one of those also-rans.