SYDNEY has held on for a thrilling 15.11 (101) to 15.9 (99) victory over Essendon at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night.

The Swans kept their finals hope alive and put a major dent in the Bombers' own top-eight aspirations by securing a third straight win.

Sydney led by as much as 37 points early in the third quarter before the Bombers' midfield and inside-50 dominance finally started to impact the scoreboard.

Essendon cut the lead to just two points with five minutes left but electric forward Tom Papley stepped up to bomb the Swans' only goal of the final quarter from 60m out.

Jye Menzie goaled back for the Bombers, but it was too late as the ball went back to the middle with six seconds to play.

Sydney could finish the round as high as 10th on the ladder after its finals hopes appeared shot only a month ago.

Young forward Joel Amartey had a night out with four first half goals, with small forward Sam Wicks also lively, kicking three. Papley and Isaac Heeney kicked two each with Papley the all important match winner.

Errol Gulden continued his stellar season, leading the disposals with 37, Jake Lloyd stood strong down back with 31 and Chad Warner and Braeden Campbell with 27 disposals each.

Two calf complains to Lance Franklin and Dane Rampe put a dampener on the Swans win however. Franklin was subbed out of the match midway through the second quarter due to calf "tightness" and replaced by midfielder Ryan Clarke while Rampe also felt tightness in his calf and didn't return to the field in the last quarter. Both will be assessed in coming days.

It is Sydney's final game in Melbourne during the home-and-away season and the Swans won’t return this year unless they charge into the finals.

Sydney has four matches to come in the home-and-away season, starting with next week's clash with in-form rivals Greater Western Sydney.

Has Buddy got one more in him?
The calf injury that saw Lance Franklin leave the field in the second quarter looked innocuous to say the least, but with just four rounds left in the home and away season and the Swans far from a finals certainty, is it possible we have seen the last of Buddy? The club said the substitution was "precautionary" but it wouldn't surprise that, even if the injury is slight, the Swans might keep their superstar on ice to give him every chance for a final-round farewell at the SCG.

Amartey is no Bud-lite
Even before Saturday night's injury, Lance Franklin's football days looked numbered, finally opening the door for Joel Amartey to show his wares in front of goal, and it's hard not to like what we see. Amartey kicked his third bag of four goals for the season on Saturday night. In his fifth year with the Swans, Amartey has done his apprenticeship under a true master, and at 23 years old he is primed to make the SCG goalsquare his own for the next decade. 

ESSENDON     5.2      7.4     10.6     15.9 (99)
SYDNEY          5.1    10.5     14.7    15.11 (101)

GOALS
Essendon: Langford 5, Wright 4, Martin, Perkins, Hind, Caldwell, Durham, Menzie
Sydney: Amartey 4, Wicks 3,  Heeney 2, Papley 2, Warner, McInerney, McDonald, Gulden

BEST
Essendon: Merrett, Langford, Caldwell, Parish, Heppell
Sydney: Gulden, Lloyd, Warner, Campbell, Amartey

INJURIES
Essendon: TBC
Sydney: Franklin (Calf)

LATE CHANGES
Essendon: Will Snelling, replaced in the selected side by Alwyn Davey jnr
Sydney: None 

SUBSTITUTES
Essendon: Will Snelling (replaced Alwyn Davey jnr in the third quarter)
Sydney: Ryan Clarke (replaced Lance Franklin in the second quarter)

Crowd: 38,319 at Marvel Stadium