SYDNEY has held on for a thrilling 15.11 (101) to 15.9 (99) victory over Essendon as legendary forward Lance Franklin suffered a potential career-ending calf injury.

The Swans kept their finals hope alive and put a major dent in the Bombers' own top-eight aspirations by securing a third straight win at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.

Sydney led by as much as 37 points early in the third quarter before the Bombers' midfield and inside-50 dominance finally started to impact the scoreboard.

BOMBERS v SWANS Full match coverage and stats

Essendon cut the lead to just two points with five minutes left but electric forward Tom Papley stepped up to bomb the Swans' only goal of the final quarter from 60m out.

Jye Menzie goaled back for the Bombers, but it was too late as the ball went back to the middle with six seconds to play.

Sydney could finish the round as high as 10th on the ladder after its finals hopes appeared shot only a month ago.

But the iconic career of Franklin hangs in the balance after he was subbed out of the match midway through the second quarter due to calf "tightness" and replaced by midfielder Ryan Clarke.

The 36-year-old cut a dejected figure sitting on the bench and was walking with a noticeable limp when he joined his teammates at the three-quarter-time huddle.

"He just came off feeling a bit tight in his calf," Swans football manager Charlie Gardiner said at half-time.

"We don't take any risks with him, so we decided to sub him out of the game. 

"He's OK, we will assess it across the next few days."

It is Sydney's final game in Melbourne during the home-and-away season and the Swans won’t return this year unless they charge into the finals.

Franklin is expected to retire at season's end, but this week the 36-year-old had reportedly been contemplating playing on next year for a 20th AFL campaign.

Sydney has four matches to come in the home-and-away season, starting with next week's clash with in-form rivals Greater Western Sydney.

Franklin has kicked 1066 goals in his career - the fourth most in VFL/AFL history - and is a lock to be inducted as a legend in the Australian Football Hall of Fame after he retires.

But the future looks bright for the Swans post-Franklin with tall forward Joel Amartey stepping up with four goasl in the first half as Sydney skipped away to a 19-point lead at the main break.

Essendon forward Kyle Langford continued his brilliant season by nailing five goals, but it will come as little consolation to the Bombers who won the inside-50s 69-47 and their finals hopes could be over.

Has Buddy got one more in him?
The calf injury that saw Lance Franklin leave the field in the second quarter looked innocuous to say the least, but with just four rounds left in the home and away season and the Swans far from a finals certainty, is it possible we have seen the last of Buddy? The club said the substitution was "precautionary" but it wouldn't surprise that, even if the injury is slight, the Swans might keep their superstar on ice to give him every chance for a final-round farewell at the SCG.

Brad Scott's honeymoon is over
After round 14 Essendon was one win away from a top-three spot, but with five losses from the past six rounds the season has taken a massive 180-degree turn. The Bombers play West Coast and North Melbourne in the next fortnight and should breathe life back into their campaign, but with GWS away and Collingwood waiting in round 24, the likelihood of another year without a finals win is starting to look like reality for Essendon fans.

Amartey is no Bud-lite
Even before Saturday night's injury, Lance Franklin's football days looked numbered, finally opening the door for Joel Amartey to show his wares in front of goal, and it's hard not to like what we see. Amartey kicked his third bag of four goals for the season on Saturday night. In his fifth year with the Swans, Amartey has done his apprenticeship under a true master, and at 23 years old he is primed to make the SCG goalsquare his own for the next decade. 

ESSENDON     5.2      7.4     10.6     15.9 (99)
SYDNEY          5.1    10.5     14.7    15.11 (101)

GOALS
Essendon: Langford 5, Wright 4, Martin, Perkins, Hind, Caldwell, Durham, Menzie
Sydney: Amartey 4, Wicks 3,  Heeney 2, Papley 2, Warner, McInerney, McDonald, Gulden

BEST
Essendon: Merrett, Langford, Caldwell, Parish, Heppell
Sydney: Gulden, Lloyd, Warner, Campbell, Amartey

INJURIES
Essendon: TBC
Sydney: Franklin (calf), Rampe (calf)

LATE CHANGES
Essendon: Will Snelling, replaced in the selected side by Alwyn Davey jnr
Sydney: None 

SUBSTITUTES
Essendon: Will Snelling (replaced Alwyn Davey jnr in the third quarter)
Sydney: Ryan Clarke (replaced Lance Franklin in the second quarter)

Crowd: 38,329 at Marvel Stadium