IT TOOK a quarter to reign in the Swans’ tempo and get on top, but Melbourne was able to bounce back from a rare loss late week to post a 44-point win over Sydney at Casey Fields on Saturday. The Demons trailed by five points at quarter time, but then flicked the switch and dominated with seven goals across the next two quarters tow win, 9.11 (65) to 3.3 (21).

Melbourne coach Mick Stinear said the Swans got the Dees “on the hop a little bit” but the players were able to adjust really well and then only concede three behinds for the last three quarters.

“I felt like we were pretty strong around the footy early, but just a bit slow on transition and on turnover,” Stinear said. “So after quarter time it felt like the team adjusted really well, and to keep them goalless whilst still being a threat forward of the footy.

“Just the energy they brought for the whole game, but we played better for the last three quarters so really pleased with the quick response, and some good learnings which I think we took into today’s game out of last week.”

At quarter time the Dees were looking a little reactive so Stinear made a few changes to switch into a proactive gear. That worked a charm and from then on, the Swans could not match it with the more experienced Melbourne side.

“I thought we were just sitting back a little bit, so when we had the ball, and attacking forward, we weren’t quite on the same page and then as the ball turned over, we were a little bit slow to get up,” Stinear said.

“Our mids weren’t quite getting up quick enough to that next contest, and Sydney were able to shift the ball quickly and we weren’t able to adjust. “So it was ‘get a little bit more aligned with how we’re moving the ball, but then don’t sit back on turnover, get up a little bit quicker. “Then we were able to put the ball back into a contest a bit more often, spend more time in our forward half as a result of that.”

While the change in ball movement to a faster pace worked, Stinear said that decision making was largely left to the players rather than anything spoken from the coaches.

“Not too much directive from the coaching group, I think more just the players playing what was in front of them, and those opportunities presenting,” he said. “I thought today as opposed to previous weeks we were able to think our way through situations a little bit more.

“Towards the end I think we kicked six points in the last quarter, maybe a bit of fatigue that probably cost us some better efficiency in front of goal, but generally speaking our ability to go from inside to the outside, play what was in front of us, connect and work together was a big improvement.”

When asked what happened after quarter time for the Demons to get away from the Swans, Sydney coach Scott Gowans said Melbourne “lifted to a new level”.

“Their pressure was amazing and then they were able to hunt and get the contested ball on their terms which then lead to their uncontested game flying and we just weren’t able to cope with that for large portions of the second term,” Gowans said. “Then what happens is then the idea of trying to get the game back on our terms, you’re wrestling with the moments in the game that you just have to win and we’re just not doing that at the moment against the better sides.

“I just spoke to them and said that’s what finals footy is, it’s about being contested, and then knowing its not going your way and then doing something about it and find an uncontested mark for example. “We’re just not there quite yet.”