Ruckman Shane Mumford said the Sydney Swans need to improve on their starts ahead of this Saturday’s top of the table clash with Hawthorn.

Despite recording their highest score since 2006, the Swans started slowly and trailed the Western Bulldogs by 18 points at the quarter time break.

The Swans then piled on 23 goals to eight in two-and-a-half quarters to notch up an 82-point win over the Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium.

Despite the Swans’ strong finish, Mumford stressed that the Swans’ start to the match wasn’t good enough.

“The way we started the game wasn’t up to our standards and we were getting beaten in contested ball and uncontested ball, and it’s not the way we play,” Mumford told SwansTV.

“We addressed that at quarter time and turned it around and ended up running the game home really well.

“The fact that we got in there and started winning the contested ball allowed us to have the ball in our hands and not in their’s and that creates scoring shots.”

Click on the video player above to watch Shane Mumford speak to SwansTV in the rooms after Sunday's match

The Swans second half turnaround saw the team finish with 14 individual goal kickers, including Mumford, who kicked three goals alongside Adam Goodes, Mike Pyke and Lewis Roberts-Thomson.

Young forward Sam Reid also played an important role up forward upon his return from a knee injury, contributing two goals for the match, while Dan Hannebery, Ryan O’Keefe and Ben McGlynn also kicked two each.

Mumford said he thought the team were starting to find the right balance in their forward line.

“It’s good to be able to kick a goal now and then; I don’t do it too often, so to be able to kick three in a game is not a bad effort,” Mumford said.

“We’re working really well down (forward) with the bigger guys who are moving around and leading up.

“We’re definitely getting our forward structure right, so hopefully we can keep that going over the next few weeks.”

One player who didn’t rate a mention in the Swans goal kicking column was defender Nick Malceski, who said he was pleased to see the Swans regain their accuracy in front of goal this week.

Speaking to SwansTV after the match, Malceski said it was a huge turnaround from last weekend’s loss to Collingwood, where inaccuracy in front of goal cost the Swans late in the game.

“(I’m not) there to kick goals; I’m there to stop them,” Malceski joked after the match.

“But the boys were kicking them from everywhere and it was good to be accurate this week because last week we weren’t very accurate against Collingwood and it cost us a bit.

“It really was good to have a big spread of goal kickers.”

The Swans now turn their attention to Saturday’s top of the table clash with Hawthorn at the SCG, which is already a sell out.

“(Hawthorn are) a great team and we’ve got to make sure we come and get a good start and press them as much as we can,” Malceski said.

Click here to watch Nick Malceski speak to SwansTV in the rooms after Sunday's match