Sydney’s Oliver Florent has held his nerve to kick the match-winning goal in their pulsating seven-point AFL win over the Western Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs were left ruing several blown chances in the Saturday twilight clash at Etihad Stadium, with the Swans winning 13.8 (86) to 11.13 (79).
A snapped goal from the Bulldogs’ Luke Dahlhaus reduced the margin to a point deep into the last quarter.
With just over a minute left, a speculative kick from Isaac Heeney found Florent on the wing.
He took the mark, outsprinted Bulldogs ruckman Tim English and kicked a long-range bouncing goal to seal the win.
In-form Swans star Lance Franklin kicked 3.4 and he had a great battle with Bulldogs captain Easton Wood.
The Bulldogs easily won the inside 50s, 60-42, and butchered too many opportunities.
Josh Dunkley kicked 0.4 and also dropped an easy mark in front of goal late in the game.
Had he held onto the mark and goaled, scores would have been level ahead of the major from Dahlhaus.
Luke Parker, Heeney, Tom Papley and Dane Rampe shone for the Swans, while Jack Macrae, Matt Suckling, Wood and Marcus Bontempelli were best for the Dogs.
There was plenty of niggle throughout the match and the tone was set seconds before the first bounce.
Sydney onballer Dan Hannebery clashed with Bulldogs defender Jason Johannisen and that prompted a melee on the corner of the centre square.
The siren went to start the game, but the umpire at the centre circle had to wait until players returned so he could bounce the ball.
Wood was solid on Franklin as the two sides traded goals through the opening term.
The Bulldogs led by seven points at quarter-time and looked set to break the game open early in the second term.
Franklin was also briefly in trouble when he hurt his shoulder while attempting to spoil.
A great mark and goal from Bontempelli took the Bulldogs to a 22-point lead, four minutes into the second term.
But it proved their last goal of the opening half.
A goal to Heeney on the halftime siren meant the Swans had kept the damage to only a 10-point deficit.
Franklin kicked his first two goals directly from Bulldogs turnovers at the start of the third quarter to put the Dogs on the back foot.
Jack Redpath was moved into defence for a few minutes to double-team the Swans’ star.
The Swans had kicked six goals in a row either side of halftime to take a 14-point lead.
Mitch Wallis’ accurate shot from an acute angle, 14 minutes into the third term, stopped the rot and scores were level at three-quarter time.
Earlier on Saturday, star Bulldogs forward Tom Boyd took a big step towards his long-awaited senior recall.
The key forward kicked five goals for Footscray in their 80-point VFL win over Coburg.