FIVE GOALS from spearhead Barry Hall has seen the Sydney Swans win their sixth straight match, overcoming Melbourne by 40 points at Manuka Oval in Canberra on Sunday afternoon.
The Swans, who keep their place in the top four with their ninth win of the year, ran out 17.12 (114) to 11.8 (74) winners after a spirited showing by the Demons in the second half.
Melbourne reduced a 36-point second-quarter lead to less than two goals deep in the third term before fading late, and while the defeat showed signs of progress for the last-placed Demons, the club lost its sixth match in succession and fell to 1-12 on the season.
For the Swans, Hall had 16 possessions, 11 marks and kicked 5.5, while Brett Kirk was their leading possession winner with 27. Jude Bolton, in his 200th AFL game, had 18 touches and seven tackles.
The Demons were led by Matthew Bate's four goals, while Brad Green had 24 touches.
The Swans kicked the all-important first goal of the last term after Martin Mattner was the recipient of a generous 50-metre penalty in midfield; the former Crows defender kicked his second goal of the game to extend Sydney's 17-point margin at the last change.
With no change to the score, Nick Malceski drilled his first of the match at the 12-minute mark to make the margin almost five goals, effectively icing the contest for the Swans.
The Swans outscored Melbourne by five goals to one in the last term, with Amon Buchanan adding his second for the match on the full-time siren.
The Swans led 12.10 (82) to 10.5 (65) with a quarter to play.
Melbourne kicked five goals to two in the third term to reduce what seemed like a match-winning lead for the Swans to just 11 points at the 18-minute mark, when Bate let fly from 55m and booted an inspirational goal, his fourth.
Demon big man Paul Johnson was prominent in Melbourne's revival, emerging as a clear winner in his duel with an undersized Leo Barry, and was one of five individual Demons goalkickers in the quarter.
Melbourne kicked the first three goals of the term before Hall snared his fifth of the game at the 11-minute mark, and Sydney's only other major for the quarter came when Michael O'Loughlin arrested some momentum from the Demons by booting his second for the match.
Earlier, the Swans led by 32 points at half time, 10.5 (65) to 5.3 (33).
Their decisive first-half margin was built on the back of three early goals before most patrons in the nation's capital had found their seats. Hall kicked four first-half goals for the Swans, while Kirk had 16 first-half touches while keeping Brock McLean quiet.
After the Swans led by an even five goals at the first change, both sides traded goals in the opening 10 minutes of the second term. Majors by Sydney's Ryan O'Keefe and O'Loughlin were countered by a classy goal from Bate and another opportunistic effort from Austin Wonaeamirri for the Demons.
Neither side could kick a goal for nearly 14 minutes until Hall monstered Matthew Warnock in a goalsquare marking contest, kicking his fourth for the first half at the 22-minute mark. Bate then kicked his third for the Demons in a promising first half after a strong lead and conversion with less than 15 seconds to play.
The Swans took a 7.2 (44) to 2.2 (14) lead to the quarter-time break after starting with a bullet under sunny skies in Canberra, kicking three goals inside the first six minutes.
Both sides entered the round 13 clash as named.
Sydney Swans 7.2 10.5 12.10 17.12 (114)
Melbourne 2.2 5.3 10.5 11.8 (74)
GOALS
Sydney Swans: Hall 5, Buchanan 2, Mattner 2, O'Loughlin 2, Goodes, Jolly, Malceski, R.O'Keefe, Playfair, Roberts-Thomson
Melbourne: Bate 4, Wonaeamirri 3, Bruce, P.Johnson, McLean, Miller
BEST
Sydney Swans: Hall, Kirk, Mattner, Jolly, C.Bolton, O'Loughlin
Melbourne: Bate, Dunn, Green, P.Johnson, Garland, C.Johnson
INJURIES
Sydney Swans: None
Melbourne: None
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Sully, Grun, Head
Official crowd: 11,437 at Manuka Oval
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
