SYDNEY SWANS midfielder Luke Ablett has attributed his side’s inconsistency to a gradual but definite drift from the ‘team first’ mantra that has driven much of its success.

The Swans have a 3-4 record after seven rounds but, even in their victories, their performances have been patchy.

Ablett said a review of the 51-point loss to Geelong had uncovered some issues that needed to be addressed, starting with the Swans’ clash against West Coast on Saturday night at ANZ Stadium.

“[We need to] get back to working with each other and being a real team, which we’ve kind of gone away from and that’s been the inconsistency over this year,” Ablett said before the team’s recovery session at Coogee on Friday.

“We’re not really sure why it’s happening but the fact is it has happened a few times this year and we’ve generally lost games when it has happened,” he said.

“I think it just comes back to the individual and them making sure they’re looking out for their teammates and everyone’s out there together.”

Ablett returns to the side this weekend after missing two matches with a troublesome shoulder injury.

Swans coach Paul Roos said on Thursday that Ablett had been identified as a player who tended not to produce his best while carrying an injury, and the 26-year-old concurred.

“The last couple of years, I’ve battled some injuries and usually when they’ve gone on for two, three, four weeks, my form’s really started to drop off,” he said.

“I had the shoulder from the Hawthorn game (in round two) and I managed to get through a couple of weeks and play okay but then it culminated in a really disappointing performance against Fremantle and that was the final straw.

“We decided to give it a couple of weeks off to let it settle down and it has come up really well.”

Along with Craig Bird, Ablett will add some much needed experience and support to a Swans midfield that has been carried largely by Brett Kirk and Jude Bolton this season.

Kirk and Bolton’s hard-nosed approach often finds them at the bottom of each pack but Ablett said each midfield player’s role differed according to their strengths.

“It’s not about everyone doing that, it’s about playing to your strengths and what you bring to the team,” the 26-year-old said.

“In saying that, you do try to lift for Kirky and those older guys who have been there and done it and really set an example for the rest of us.

“They do inspire you a lot of the time but it’s not about everyone just cracking in and getting hits in the head all the time.”