In this week's Game Plan, Swans stoppage coach Mark Stone talks about how the team plan to erase the memory of last weekend and tackle the in-form Saints at ANZ Stadium...

We can’t shy away from the fact it was a disappointing performance last week. The coaches certainly didn’t see the lack of effort coming. We had one of our best training weeks, so our preparation was solid, and then the team came out and performed really flat.

One of the key learning points from it, is that there are going to be games, at any venue, where you have a flat start like we did against Richmond, and as a group, the players need to sense it and address it really quickly. The players, and particularly the leaders, have to be able to sense we are off in some key areas and adjust quickly and change that. We can’t afford to wait until quarter-time or half-time to address problems. But we’ll all learn from that and be better equipped going forward.

Sometimes statistics can be a bit misleading, and although we were soundly beaten last weekend, the clearance count was in our favour. From a stoppage point of view, what we’re trying to achieve is firstly, obtaining more clearances than the opposition, but more importantly is the outcome of those clearances  - and what we are endeavouring to get is inside 50s. What we want is to achieve a better outcome from our clearance work. Clearances don’t win or lose you games - it’s how you transfer the ball from those clearances, or defend the opposition's clearances that tells the tale.

Our players are naturally competitive and they will be eager to bounce back after last week. There has been a strong level of responsibility for last week's loss taken by the group which has helped address some issues and move on. They are all very disappointed with their performance as a team and acknowledged that it was an unacceptable level for us. What is more important is how they respond this Sunday against St Kilda. We can expect a more resilient team with a bit more steel in it this week, but that doesn’t necessarily give us the points. We still have to perform well and beat a good side.

It’s all about going back to the basics against the Saints and hitting the trademarks that make us a good side. We need to get those competitive juices back on Sunday and we’ve got to make sure our tackling and pressure on the opposition is at its highest level. When we’re playing our best footy, those areas of pressure and competitiveness are key indicators for us. Another key focus for us on Sunday will be seizing opportunities when they come our way in front of goal. 

Apart from a practice match in the pre-season competition, we have not played the Saints since round one, 2010. That doesn’t really affect our preparation. We prepare for them like we prepare for any opponent. You look at their recent form line, their playing patterns, their danger players and try and match up on them to best suit us and hopefully cause St Kilda some headaches.

St Kilda have really turned their season around and after a slow start, are now one of the form sides of the competition. One of the major reasons they are playing so well is that they are getting a really even number of contributors - their weight of numbers is fantastic. Instead of having 12 or 14 good players each game, they are now getting an even performance across all 22 players. Some of their younger guys have stepped up and their senior players are all playing really good football again. They’re executing the style of play that they are renowned for, but have also quickened up their ball movement a little bit and are playing on more. With such an even spread of contributors, we need all our players to be prepared for the contest and play their role. 

If we bring our best footy to ANZ Stadium on Sunday and if we can return to our trademarks as a footy Club, then we can beat St Kilda.