THE SYDNEY Swans have honoured their most enduring servant Michael O'Loughlin with a 28-point win against Fremantle at the SCG.
Playing his club record-breaking 261st game in red and white, O'Loughlin was at his mercurial best in soggy conditions, slotting two goals and providing a cool head and clean skills in a crucial game for both teams in the Swans' 11.23 (89) to 9.7 (61) victory.
Nic Fosdike and Brett Kirk were outstanding in the midfield for the home side, while Nick Malceski and Adam Goodes gave plenty of drive from half-back.
The victory rejuvenated the Swans' finals chances, while putting Fremantle (six wins, 11th place) and its coach Chris Connolly under considerable pressure with eight games remaining.
After trailing by two points at half time, Fremantle looked set to break the game open early in the second half after Farmer slotted his second goal to put his side in front, but the Swans locked the game down with their customary effectiveness.
It took 20 torrid minutes for the home side to register their first goal of the second half, but when it came through Brett Kirk, the floodgates opened.
Tim Schmidt's athletic soccer-style effort from the goal square extended the Swans' lead to eight points and Jude Bolton converted from a regulation mark and goal.
The Swans' resulting 17-point lead looked comfortable enough under the circumstances, but O'Loughlin's second of the game after the siren made it a near-insurmountable 23 points at the last change.
Barry Hall put the Swans further in front with second goal after a 50m penalty took him to the goal square.
But a quick reply from Pavlich and two clever goals from Freo veteran Shaun McManus cut the margin to 15 points, quickening pulses around the ground.
It was left to spearhead Hall to settle the Swans' nerves, adding his third goal from a free kick with nine minutes to play.
One last major to the lively O'Keefe extended the final margin to one that more accurately reflected the Swans' dominance.
Earlier, it was milestone man O'Loughlin who opened the scoring with a clinical set shot from 35m, but that proved the Swans' only highlight in a scrappy first term on a sodden SCG.
Jeff Farmer replied for Freo after a free kick in the goal square, but it was a rare foray forward for the visitors as Sydney eked out a three-point lead at the first change.
The Swans' dominance continued in the second term with Hall kicking truly in the first minute, but Freo skipper Matthew Pavlich replied almost immediately, capitalising on some excellent run through the midfield from David Mundy.
That trend repeated as Ryan O'Keefe and Chris Tarrant exchanged goals, before Fremantle took a deserved lead through a canny snap from the outstanding Des Headland.
While the Swans controlled much of the open play, Fremantle's work up forward was far more clinical, with Pavlich and Headland incisive by foot.
With the game mired in stoppages, it took some line-breaking runs from Malceski and Tadhg Kennelly to spark the Swans and lift the SCG crowd.
Hall and O'Keefe both spurned clear chances, before Adam Schneider kicked truly to put the Swans back in front.
But a late goal to Freo's Scott Thornton cut the Swans' half-time lead to just two points.
Sydney Swans 1.6 4.11 8.17 11.23 (89)
Fremantle 1.3 5.3 6.6 9.7 (61)
GOALS
Sydney Swans: Hall 3, O’Keefe 2, O’Loughlin 2, Bolton, Kirk, Schmidt, Schneider
Fremantle: Farmer 2, McManus 2, Pavlich 2, Headland, Tarrant, Thornton
BEST
Sydney Swans: Goodes, Kirk, Bolton, Schneider, Fosdike, Bolton, Hall, Mathews Fremantle: Headland, Solomon, Black, Carr
Umpires: B Rosebury S Wenn S Jeffery.
Crowd: 25943 at the SCG
