Let's not disrespect the Saints game style. Sure they like to lock it in and strangle their opponents more than the Cats do, but they can and do pile on goals when the moment is right.
OK, I will try to explain the difference between the saints of 2009 gamestyle to the swans of 2003-2007 gamestyle, which I believe to not to be any different anyway.
When the swans were up and about, they would win a lot of games by playing a defensive game style, restricting many teams to just 8-9 goals for the game, but kicking 12-13 goals themselves for a 3-4 goal win. I have seen countless games where this has happened.
What do we see this year with saints. They also restrict many teams to 8-9 goals a game, but they pile on 17-18 goals themselves for a 8-10 goal victory.
The difference is not in the game style, but the players executing the exact same game style. The saints team is chock full of very high draft picks executing this game style...Riewoldt, Hayes, Goddard, Del Santo, Koschistske etc etc, the swans of 03-07 didnt have players like this, the only exception to the rule might have Adam Goodes( I know he's not a high draft pick, but name me one player in the 1997 draft that went before him thats better than him) So with one team, you have all these middle of the road draft pick players(the swans) executing this game style for a gritty 3-4 goal win, and on the hand, you have a team chock full of high draft picks and class players(the saints) executing this game style for comfortable 8-10 goal wins. The same game style executed by a better class of players. Now there were certain games in the swans' 03-08 era where the players executed that game style 'perfectly' for some absolute thumpings of the opposition, there was a game against the tigers at Etihad in 06 that rings a bell, also thumped Carlton a few times as well, nothing wrong with the game style when this happens, but the beauty of it is, that even when your not on song, or the opposition is causing you some problems by playing good football, you can still grind out a victory....Swans vs Geelong, 2005 semi final, and most of the games between swans and West coast of that time.
As I said earlier, the saints play the same way, just got better players to execute that game style. Oh and another thing, I've also heard that when Ross Lyon was being interviewed for the saints job a few years ago, when asked what he would bring to the table if chosen to be coach of the saints, Ross' reply was something like..."the swans game style, but on steroids". Think about that.