THE SYDNEY Swans have won their third straight match, dominating the first half before running out 82-point winners over a desperately disappointing Richmond at the SCG.

The Swans kicked the first 11 goals of the game and held the Tigers to a solitary major to half time, eventually recording a 21.13 (139) to 8.9 (57) victory. The win improves Sydney's record to 6-3-1 after 10 rounds, while the Tigers fall to 3-6-1 after an uncompetitive display following a month of promising football. It was Sydney's fifth straight win over the Tigers, who now haven't beaten the Swans since 2005.

Sydney's trademark tackling and pressure was on display when the match was there to be won, with a fierce attack on the ball and man forcing an almost-constant torrent of Tiger turnovers early on. The match was as good as over after 26 minutes, when Tiger Shane Edwards finally registered Richmond's first score of the match; by that stage, Sydney had kicked 6.3.

For the victors, Ryan O'Keefe led the way with 27 possessions, while Brett Kirk had 23. Amon Buchanan, Jarrad McVeigh and Michael O'Loughlin, in his 300th game, all kicked three goals.

Richmond was led by a valiant effort by Brett Deledio, who had 32 touches and kicked two goals to be the Tigers' only multiple goal-kicker, while Chris Newman and Nathan Foley both had 24 possessions.  

Both teams kicked three goals in a third quarter played under darkening skies and in slight drizzle, with Richmond managing back-to-back majors for the first time in the match when Joel Bowden and Nathan Brown converted within three minutes of one another midway through the quarter.

The Swans then hit back with goals to Paul Bevan and Craig Bird, with the latter denied a second goal for the term when his accurate flying shot from 45 metres was judged to be just after the three-quarter time siren.

Richmond skipper Kane Johnson left the field early in the term after appearing to hyper-extend his knee.

With the rain increasing, Sydney kicked the first two goals of the last term, extending the margin to a match-high 89 points when O'Loughlin kicked his third for the match from the goalsquare after a Richmond mistake. Goals to Deledio (two), Foley and Jay Schulz helped to stem the tide for the Tigers before late goals to McVeigh and Bird ensured the Swans won every quarter.

Earlier, the Swans had built a decisive 73-point lead at the main break, capitalising on their 38-point quarter-time lead with an almost faultless display in the second term. Richmond didn't kick a goal for the match until the 20-minute mark of the second stanza, when newcomer Trent Cotchin finally broke the drought with a classy effort.

The second term got off to the perfect start for the Swans when former Geelong forward Henry Playfair kicked truly from 45 metres right on the boundary line. Further goals to Craig Bolton, Buchanan, Luke Ablett and Jarred Moore extended the margin to a staggering 69 points at the 16-minute mark.

Cotchin's goal was little more than an aberration as Sydney immediately replied with goals to McVeigh and O'Keefe, the latter extending the margin to 74 points.

The Swans were irresistible in the first quarter, taking a 6.4 (40) to 0.2 (2) lead into the first change. Amazingly, Richmond had nine more possessions in the first term but trailed by 38 points, with Sydney's physical presence at the stoppages placing the Tigers under almost constant pressure.

The highlight of the first term, and indeed the match, came when Sydney's dual Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes put his name into Goal of the Year contention with a superb effort on the run from the centre square, baulking two opponents before slotting a drop punt from 55m.

Sydney Swans    6.4       13.7    16.11  21.13 (139)
Richmond            0.2       1.6       4.7       8.9 (57) 

GOALS
Sydney Swans: Buchanan 3, McVeigh 3, O'Loughlin 3, Bird 2, Goodes 2, Playfair 2, Ablett, Bevan, C Bolton, Malceski, Moore, O'Keefe
Richmond: Deledio 2, Bowden, Brown, Cotchin, Foley, Moore, Schultz 

BEST
Sydney Swans: Barry, Bird, Buchanan, Goodes, Jolly, Kirk, Mattner, O'Keefe, Bolton
Richmond: Deledio, Newman, Bowden, Richardson 

INJURIES
Sydney Swans: None
Richmond: Johnson (knee)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Nicholls, Jeffery, Schmitt

Official crowd: 26,852 at SCG

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of the clubs or the AFL.