Sydney have kept pace with fellow premiership favourites Hawthorn in the hunt for top spot on the ladder after toppling Port Adelaide by 26 points.

The teams were locked in a dogfight until the Swans gave themselves enough breathing space in the second half to win 12.12 (84) to 7.16 (58) at Adelaide Oval on Saturday night.

With million-dollar recruits Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett well held by Power duo Jack Hombsch and Alipate Carlile, Ben McGlynn rose to the occasion for the Swans kicking three goals and collecting 21 touches.

Brownlow contender Josh Kennedy terrorised the Power with 33 disposals along with fellow midfielder stars Luke Parker, Kieren Jack and Craig Bird, who combined for an impressive 25 tackles.

Young gun Harry Cunningham was also impressive with three goals.

Sydney opened the scoring when Cunningham broke clear into an open 50 and goaled but Port hit back instantly when Jake Neade slotted a free-kick.

Neade was in the thick of it again to set up Chad Wingard for a goal before McGlynn levelled proceedings only for the Power to regain a slender one-point lead at the first break.

The Swans wrestled back the lead when Franklin goaled after benefiting from a controversial decision.

Franklin bundled Hombsch to the ground with a hefty push, but the umpire was unmoved as the superstar forward strolled in to kick his first goal.

It was all Franklin needed to escape Hombsch’s clutches momentarily as the dual premiership player booted a second.

Goals failed to materialise following Franklin’s back-to-back effort until Power ruckman Matthew Lobbe stepped to the plate.

McGlynn then bagged another major on the half-time siren to give the Swans an 11-point buffer.

McGlynn then grabbed his third after the break and then Kurt Tippett got in on the act, but just as the visitors attempted to pull clear Port skipper Travis Boak pegged the margin back with a sweet finish from a tight angle.

Both sides then traded goals with Cunningham and Boak – the beneficiary of a 50-metre penalty – adding to their tally.

Tippett popped up in traffic to kick his second to start the fourth term shortly before being handed the red vest.

The Swans kicked three more goals in his absence to the Power’s two, with Cunningham icing the victory after the siren.