HE TOOK until the fourth quarter to finally calibrate the radar, but Lance Franklin still had a decisive say as the Sydney Swans earned a remarkable 19-point victory over Hawthorn at ANZ Stadium on Friday night.

For three quarters, Franklin cut a frustrated figure in his first match against his old side, booting seven straight behinds and seemingly losing faith in his goalkicking abilities.

But he lifted when it mattered, kicking two goals in the final quarter – including a spectacular effort while lying on the ground – as the Swans fought back for a 15.17 (107) to 13.10 (88) triumph in front of 34,506 fans.

Already missing Sam Mitchell and Brian Lake, Hawthorn then lost Luke Hodge before the opening bounce and Cyril Rioli early in the third quarter, both with hamstring issues.

They managed to overcome a 26-point second term deficit to get in front for the first time late in the third quarter, but they couldn’t sustain their run.

Dan Hannebery (40 possessions) was brilliant for the Swans and was ably backed up by Josh Kennedy and Luke Parker, while Kurt Tippett kicked four goals in his first game for the year.

While Franklin's goalkicking was askew, he was a constant threat throughout and finished with 21 possessions and 10 marks, although the ex-Hawk also gave away six free kicks. His tally of 2.7 (19) proved to be the eventual difference between the sides.

Jarryd Roughead (three goals), Shaun Burgoyne and Jordan Lewis did all they could to lift the Hawks, although the former could be in trouble for his bump on Ben McGlynn that caught the diminutive Swan high.

"There's still a long way to go," Swans coach John Longmire said when asked if his side were now contenders.

"We thought a month ago when we beat Fremantle that our pressure was back, and once we get that element of our game right, it helps us play the sort of footy we want to play.

"You've got to apply pressure to any team, but especially Hawthorn.

"If they get their uncontested game going, they're as good as any team in the competition at hitting targets."

There was plenty of intrigue pre-game about how a forward line of Franklin, Tippett, Adam Goodes and Sam Reid would function.

The resounding answer early on seemed to be extremely well.

Tippett started at full forward, with Franklin and Reid on the forward 50-metre arc and Goodes on the bench.

All of them were prominent early, with Reid drifting back into defence when the Hawks were in attack although, to be fair, those occasions were few and far between in the initial stages.

The Swans made a frantic start, overwhelming the Hawks with their pressure, putting 21 points on the board before the visitors had an inside 50.

Two goals to Tippett and another to Kieren Jack were just reward for a stunning opening, and Hawthorn was under all sorts of pressure for one of the few times this season.

The Hawks could barely get their hands on the ball, but still managed to kick two goals against a wasteful Swans outfit that should have led by significantly more than 18 points at the first change.

It was more of the same to start the second term, with the home side owning the ball but failing to make it count, McGlynn with the most glaring miss on the run from about 10 metres out.

It's always dangerous letting a good team think they're still in touch and that's what transpired, with the Hawks steadying the ship with the final three goals of the half to trail by just seven points.

The teams traded goals to start the second half, but consecutive majors to the visiting side had them in front for the first time 18 minutes into the third term.

Tippett then kicked his third in the dying seconds of the half as the Hawks took a three-point edge into the fourth quarter.

Franklin then stood up, with his two-goal cameo crucial as the Swans ran away with the victory.

Afterwards, Alastair Clarkson felt the Swans were deserving of the four points.

"We were pretty ordinary tonight and Sydney were a lot more fanatical at the contest than what we were," he said.

"We were lucky to still be in the contest at quarter-time.

"Sydney were the better side on the night by far."