That is the view of Melbourne coach Paul Roos, who praised his players for their effort, in particular for their pressure around the ball, as they made the Swans fight hard for their victory at the MCG.
But a spate of turnovers and a lack of offensive firepower meant they could never really put enough scoreboard pressure to affect the mindset of an experienced Swans unit.
Buddy injured as Swans down Demons
"I think it was a significant step forward, but by the same token it is frustrating because we drop off in periods of games," Roos said after the game.
"I think at the moment that ability to play two-way football is really hard. We're working a lot harder defensively, but then I think guys are tired when we've got the ball.
"As hard as it is and as frustrating as it is for me, you accept the turnovers provided you're getting real effort on the defensive side of the football."
Roos took his players to the Geelong-Hawthorn Easter Monday showdown to show them the habits and discipline ingrained within two of the best sides in the competition.
Those non-negotiables were evident on the Swans' side of the ledger, too.
"I think it was a significant step forward, but by the same token it is frustrating because we drop off in periods of games," Roos said after the game.
"I think at the moment that ability to play two-way football is really hard. We're working a lot harder defensively, but then I think guys are tired when we've got the ball.
"As hard as it is and as frustrating as it is for me, you accept the turnovers provided you're getting real effort on the defensive side of the football."
Roos took his players to the Geelong-Hawthorn Easter Monday showdown to show them the habits and discipline ingrained within two of the best sides in the competition.
Those non-negotiables were evident on the Swans' side of the ledger, too.
Five talking points: Melbourne v Sydney Swans
"I thought that (Monday's game) was really good learning. It's the destination we've got to get to. It's going to take a year, two years or whatever it's going to take, but we've got to keep reinforcing those sorts of things and keep training for them," Roos said.
"There's a massive gap between [those clubs] and Melbourne. We certainly acknowledge that, so our ability to get down in the trenches was really important and it's a theme that we've got to bring week in and week out."
Roos acknowledged the depth and talent of the Swans' midfield – led superbly by Dan Hannebery who was best afield with 34 disposals and 13 clearances.
Roos, who coached the Swans in a club-record 202 games between 2002 and 2010, noted the lack of opposition analysis his side was able to put in during the week.
"Most of the work we're doing at the moment is on ourselves. We put a bit of work into McVeigh because he's their 'quarterback'," Roos said.
"We've just got to get some standards in place and we're not doing a lot of work on the opposition. So it is a little bit hard, because teams are getting hold of us at times because we're not able to put some specific strategies in place."
Despite some of those glaring deficiencies, a number of Melbourne's young players stepped up to the plate and made important contributions.
Demons defender Tom McDonald was exceptional in his role on Swans star forward Lance Franklin, limiting him to just one goal (from a dubious free kick) and seven disposals, before he left the field with a right knee injury.
"Tom has been outstanding this year, he's done a really good job," Roos said.
"He was outstanding against Buddy."
Twitter: @AFL_BenGuthrie
"I thought that (Monday's game) was really good learning. It's the destination we've got to get to. It's going to take a year, two years or whatever it's going to take, but we've got to keep reinforcing those sorts of things and keep training for them," Roos said.
"There's a massive gap between [those clubs] and Melbourne. We certainly acknowledge that, so our ability to get down in the trenches was really important and it's a theme that we've got to bring week in and week out."
Roos acknowledged the depth and talent of the Swans' midfield – led superbly by Dan Hannebery who was best afield with 34 disposals and 13 clearances.
Roos, who coached the Swans in a club-record 202 games between 2002 and 2010, noted the lack of opposition analysis his side was able to put in during the week.
"Most of the work we're doing at the moment is on ourselves. We put a bit of work into McVeigh because he's their 'quarterback'," Roos said.
"We've just got to get some standards in place and we're not doing a lot of work on the opposition. So it is a little bit hard, because teams are getting hold of us at times because we're not able to put some specific strategies in place."
Despite some of those glaring deficiencies, a number of Melbourne's young players stepped up to the plate and made important contributions.
Demons defender Tom McDonald was exceptional in his role on Swans star forward Lance Franklin, limiting him to just one goal (from a dubious free kick) and seven disposals, before he left the field with a right knee injury.
"Tom has been outstanding this year, he's done a really good job," Roos said.
"He was outstanding against Buddy."
Twitter: @AFL_BenGuthrie
