While SUNS coach Bluey McKenna would be able to hum along with the 1980s pop song - none of his players were born when the hit by UK stars David Bowie and Queen was first in the charts.

But they certainly learnt a lot about the concept on Saturday night against the Sydney Swans at Metricon Stadium.

The SUNS have been highly competitive over the past month but had no answer to the relentless pressure applied by the Swans.

McKenna reckons it was a notch above anything his men had encountered this year and was the clear difference between the two sides.

As tough as the 72 point loss was to take, forward Brandon Matera said the side had leaned a valuable lesson against the AFL ladder leaders that could prove beneficial in the future.

"It is just their pressure," he said.

"They are just so good in that area, they are at the top of the table and that is why.

We think we've been going pretty good but that just shows us where we have got to get to.

Although the loss appears on paper to be a set back after an encouraging second half of the season, Matera said it had not shaken the young side's belief that they were starting to take some positive steps in their development.

Nor did he believe the side was starting to tire and was vulnerable to a late season fade-out.

I think the team is pretty confident at the moment, over the past month we have played pretty good footy and we go into every game thinking we can win it,

"I don't think we're tired, we are starting to know each other more.

"I think that is starting to show."

The West Aussie produced his most productive game of the season with three goals, to be among the SUNS' best.

The SUNS play Melbourne and GWS in the coming weeks - two games their fans will have high hopes could end with the singing of the club song.

Although the expectation of a win is an unusual occurrence for the second year club, Matera said the side would not be feeling any extra external pressure.

"We won't think about that, we just focus on what we need to work on," he said.

"And that is playing for four quarters."

Obviously on the weekend we played the top team and we learnt a lot, hopefully we can take those lessons into the next couple of weeks.

Round 18 GC SUNS v Sydney Swans match report