Brisbane was celebrating Chris Johnson's 250th game but the star defender's big day got off to a bad start when he was reported for striking Tadhg Kennelly in the second minute. And things barely got any better for the Lions thereafter, as the Swans - who looked the more enterprising team in attack - led at every change for a 15.12 (102) to 10.10 (70) victory.
The Swans' winning margin might have been even greater had they been able to make full use of a 31-17 advantage in the inside-50 count in the first half. Sydney was particularly dominant in the second term but led by only 26 points at half-time, skipper Barry Hall missing a pair of gettable set shots.
However, the visitors were able to build on their advantage in a third quarter in which Lions midfielder Jason Akermanis attracted attention for all the wrong reasons. First the flamboyant reigning club champion gave away a free kick that resulted in a goal to his old adversary Jared Crouch, then he tangled with the tagger, got reported and conceded another free.
Sean Dempster, a late replacement for Ben Mathews (hamstring), booted a long goal from the ensuing passage of play to put the Swans the best part of five goals up and they were never seriously threatened from that point.
The Lions had a glimmer of hope when Mal Michael - occupying an unfamiliar forward role - registered the first major of the final term inside a minute, but Sydney steadied and hung on to notch its third win of the season.
For Sydney, Jude Bolton, Nick Fosdike and Adam Goodes were prominent throughout, combining for 70 possessions and providing loads of run. Lewis Roberts-Thompson did a fine job standing Jonathan Brown, while Crouch kicked two goals, had 19 disposals and won his running battle with Akermanis.
Hall was also in good form en route to 11 marks and three goals and he created all kinds of early match-up problems for the Lions. By the end of the opening term, Hall had his sixth opponent - a combination of Justin Leppitsch, Michael and debutant Jason Roe all twice. Roe, playing his first AFL game after being elevated from the rookie list on Thursday, was the one to stick with the big full-forward thereafter and performed creditably despite an 18kg weight disadvantage.
The Lions struggled to generate much attack, excluding a 10-minute first quarter patch in which they controlled possession but were only able to post two goals. With Brown well held and Simon Black and Luke Power restricted to 18 touches between them up to three-quarter-time, the home side was probably best served by Michael Rischitelli, who worked hard around the stoppages and showed some dash.
Jamie Charman, as always, played with plenty of energy, kicked a trio of goals and, in tandem with Beau McDonald, helped the Lions win the hit-outs 40-24. McDonald, playing only his second game after two-and-a-half years sidelined with persistent knee trouble, kicked his first goal of the season in the last quarter, to warm applause from the crowd of 29,812.
Sydney coach Paul Roos was pleased with the workmanlike performance considering the warm conditions.
"I expected a tough battle for the whole game and it ebbed and flowed throughout the day," Roos said.
"We came up against a side that played pretty good footy but you have to be happy to come up here (to the Gabba) and win by five goals."
The Lions have played a possession style, chipping game in recent weeks and started with a similar brand of football against the Swans. But it was largely ineffective in a first half in which Sydney dominated the inside-50s and coach Leigh Matthews conceded the strategy needed refining.
"We kind of were chipping it around but we weren't getting anywhere. You can chip it to change direction, but then you've got to move it," Matthews explained.
"And we got to stage one but we never seemed to get to stage two or three too often. Trying to maintain possession, there's nothing wrong with that. But you need to try and break free - and you need midfield run to break free."
BRISBANE LIONS: 3.4, 4.4, 8.7, 10.10 (70)
SYDNEY: 5.2, 8.6, 13.10, 15.12 (102)
GOALS – Brisbane Lions: Charman 3, Bradshaw 2, Fixter, Akermanis, Moody, Michael, McDonald
Sydney: Hall 3, Goodes 2, Crouch 2, Bolton 2, Ablett 2, Kirk, McVeigh, Dempster, Malceski
BEST – Brisbane Lions: Charman, Johnson, Voss, Rischitelli, B.Scott, Notting
Sydney: Goodes, Bolton, Crouch, Fosdike, Hall, O'Keefe, Kirk
INJURIES – Brisbane Lions: Johnson (groin)
Sydney: Nil
CHANGES – Sydney: - Mathews (hamstring) replaced in selected by Dempster
REPORTS - Johnson (Brisbane) for striking Kennelly by umpire Schmitt in the first quarter; Akermanis (Brisbane) for striking Crouch (Sydney) in the third quarter
UMPIRES - Grun, Schmitt, McInerney
CROWD - 29,872 at the Gabba
