A knee injury to co-captain Kieren Jack has cast a shadow over the Swans’ AFL finals campaign despite a comfortable 63-point home win over Gold Cost securing them a top-four spot.
Midfielder Jack was helped off the SCG on Saturday night after he took a hit to his left knee two minutes out from quarter time in the 19.13 (127) to 9.10 (64) victory.
He collided with the shoulder of Danny Stanley after a centre bounce.
Injury prone utility Gary Rohan hobbled off in the final quarter with what appeared to be a right knee issue.
The Swans were 31 points up at the time a limping Jack left and they collectively limped through the two middle quarters.
However, they started and finished impressively, with six goals in the first quarter and eight in the last.
It was their fourth straight win and a third successive score over 125 points following 20-goal efforts against GWS and St Kilda.
They had a 38-point lead early in the second quarter slashed to 14 in the third and the profligate Suns missed at least four decent attempts to make even bigger inroads.
Goals late in the term to Sam Reid and Isaac Heeney gave Sydney a 28-point buffer at the last break and they went on to kick 10 of the last 12 goals against a flagging Suns.
Swans forward spearhead Lance Franklin tallied 13 possessions, six marks and kicked 1.1 in his second match back from a back injury, kicking his only goal late in the last quarter.
Well held by Stephen May, he had one embarrassing miss in the third quarter when a long kick downfield sent him clear with no one to beat, but he only kicked a behind on the run from around 35 metres.
Swans ball magnet Josh Kennedy accumulated 31 possessions, his tenth straight game of 30 or more touches and Tom Mitchell continued his recent strong form with 36 disposals.
Sam Reid and Harry Cunningham each kicked three goals for Sydney.
Reid and Kurt Tippett, who kicked 2.3, were both strong in the air, grabbing 11 and nine marks respectively.
Tom Lynch and Charlie Dixon each kicked two goals for the Suns, with Aaron Hall notching a team-high 30 touches.
The Suns were also forced into a even quicker substitution with defender Greg Broughton forced off before the end of the quarter in his final game before retiring.
