SYDNEY Swans defender Ted Richards admits his team was given a "wake-up call" by a rampant Geelong at Simonds Stadium on Saturday evening.
The third-placed Swans let slip an opportunity to lock in a home final in a disappointing effort against the Cats, who cruised to a 44-point win.
Richards said after the game that his side would need lift several gears quickly against top-of-the-ladder Hawthorn next Friday night.
"That’s the standard. Finals footy. We had a taste and it's a real wake-up call for us of what's expected," Richards said.
"Hawthorn. Six days. Friday night football. We better turn it around pretty quickly."
The Swans defender was one of the few shining lights on the night. He kept Cats spearhead Tom Hawkins to just seven possessions and no goals, while helping himself to 21 of his own.
However, Richards said the Swans never really got close to challenging the high-octane Cats.
"It was really disappointing. We wanted to come down here and test ourselves against one of the best and Geelong just got off to a flyer," he said.
"We were never really in it. Maybe in the third (quarter) we had a little bit of momentum, but like any good team they just came straight back at us.
"I think the scoreboard was probably not a true reflection of the game - if they kicked accurately it could have been a far bigger win."
The Swans were outhunted by a hungrier Geelong, according to Richards.
The Cats dominated the tackle count (95-65) and set the tone early in the game with frenzied pressure around the ball. They also had considerably more possessions than the Swans. (433-349)
"It was one of the first things (Sydney Swans coach) John (Longmire) brought up after the game," he said.
"They had the majority of the ball throughout the game and despite that they still had 30 more tackles than us. So I think that's a reflection of effort – they wanted it more."
Despite the doom and gloom, Richards said the club was confident it would have a much better showing next week and once finals kick in.
"If you look at this time last year we finished off the season playing some quality teams and it was a bit of a wake-up call for us and we were able to turn it around quickly, so we know we can," he said.
"It's just we don't want to be losing games at this time of year."
