Swans co-captain Adam Goodes says the team should have reverted back to basics to stem the flow of a surging Carlton outfit at Etihad Stadium yesterday afternoon.

After kicking the opening three goals of the game inside the first 15 minutes, the Swans conceded 14 of the next 15 goals from the 17 minute mark of the first quarter to the 10 minute mark of the last quarter.

Goodes said the team had to learn to control the tempo of the game and get a goal back when the result was slipping away from them during the middle stages of the game.

“Let’s just control the footy a little bit more and play the way we are trained during the week,” Goodes told SwansTV in the rooms after the game.

“It’s that coolness under pressure. We’ve got to absorb that pressure and kick a steadying goal to really stem the pressure that they’re putting on us.

“Everything sort of went out the window which was disappointing, so we’ll learn from it.”

Goodes said Carlton has improved dramatically over the last couple of years and the pressure they put on the Swans ball carriers led to a host of turnovers which they were able to score from.

“They showed why they are such a good team and how much they have improved over the last couple of years,” he said.

“Their pressure that they put on us was immense and we unfortunately didn’t stand up to it.

“They put us under the pump and they created turnovers, and on the turnovers they were able to kick easy goals.”

Goodes said he was pleased by the way the team started the game, but insisted that they needed to make that advantage count on to the scoreboard when they are on top.

“We put a lot of pressure on them, but we didn’t get enough reward for the amount of play we did have in the first quarter,” he said.

“To put three goals on them was good, but … we needed that five or six goals to really have that scoreboard pressure.”

Goodes said the team must quickly regroup before they take on reigning premiers Collingwood at ANZ Stadium this Saturday night.

“There’s no better test than playing the best team in the competition which is Collingwood coming off the bye,” Goodes said.

“Collingwood will be biting at the bit to really assert themselves back into the season, and we’ll be ready for them.