Tigers midfielder Dustin Martin's clever goal, a banana under pressure from 40m out, within a minute of the restart in the last quarter drew his team level. A behind shortly after put them in front.
The Swans then kicked three goals in three minutes - through Ryan O'Keefe, Josh Kennedy and Sam Reid - to take what was a match-winning three-goal lead.
Swans wingman Lewis Jetta kicked another goal with eight minutes remaining to take the lead out to four goals.
Richmond ruckman Andrew Browne, who had lowered his colours to opposing ruckman Mark Seaby, hit back with a goal, as did Tyrone Vickery to give Richmond a sniff with five minutes remaining.
The Swans, however, steadied as rain pelted down to win 9.21 (75) to 9.11 (65).
Conditions were slippery and the wind was swirling before the rain hit in the last quarter.
The player who will set tongues wagging was 19-year-old forward Reid, one of two teenagers in the Swans team; the other was tall defender Alex Johnson.
In one spell in the second quarter Reid took two contested marks against Richmond veteran Brad Miller. Such was the quality of the marks that you could sense a shiver of panic in the Richmond camp.
When the ball was next delivered into the Swans' forward line, Tigers defender Alex Rance tripped over himself in his haste to spoil Reid and pushed him in the back. Reid, the brother of Collingwood's Ben, kicked another behind from the free kick.
Reid let himself down with his kicking at goal. His tally at half-time was 1.5. He kicked his second goal after receiving a handball in the goalsquare during the three goals in three minutes splurge.
Richmond was set back before the opening bounce when key defender Luke McGuane was forced out of the selected team, replaced by Jake Batchelor.
The Tigers' tall defender stocks suffered another blow when David Astbury dislocated his knee in the opening minutes of the match.
Miller was then forced to play in defence. The stretched Richmond backline struggled to keep out the Swans' key forwards, Reid and Adam Goodes, who had five marks inside 50 to the Tigers' one halfway through the third quarter.
The Swans were goalless in the third quarter, scoring 0.5 to Richmond's 2.0, but deserved their victory.
Quarter by quarter summary
FIRST QUARTER
The day started badly for Richmond with the late withdrawal of key defender Luke McGuane and it only got worse three minutes into the first quarter when David Astbury was stretchered off with a serious knee injury. The club was made to use their substitute Tom Hislop almost immediately. To make matters worse, Trent Dennis-Lane kicked the first goal of the game shortly after Astbury left the field and the Swans had the momentum. Mark Seaby started to exert his influence all over the ground as the Swans found plenty of room in their forward 50 but couldn't convert on the scoreboard. The Tigers steadied with a goal to Jack Riewoldt midway through the term but the Swans hit back almost instantly. Both teams traded goals through Malceski and Nahas respectively before the Swans started to get on top of the contest. The Swans had 11 scoring shots for the term but couldn't convert despite having a number of set shots on goal. Lewis Roberts-Thomson showed his team how it's done for a second week in a row to kick the Swans out to an 11-point lead at the first change.
SECOND QUARTER
The Tigers needed a quick goal to start the term and Dustin Martin did exactly that within the first four minutes. Sam Reid had the chance to hit back straight away, but sprayed his third set shot on goal, before kicking truly moments later for his first. The Swans were made to pay for their goalkicking woes as Brett Deledio snapped to make the margin four points at the 17-minute mark. Reid started to dominate but once again couldn't convert his chances and finished the term with 1.5 to his name. Lewis Jetta finally gave the Swans the much-deserved lead with an easy goal late in the quarter. Surprisingly only 13 points separated the sides at the main break despite the Swans having eight more scoring shots.
THIRD QUARTER
The Swans came out in the third quarter desperate to put pressure on the scoreboard but again struggled to convert in the windy and wet conditions with Ben McGlynn missing from 30m out in the opening minute. The Tigers again made the Swans pay for their error as Tyrone Vickery kicked his first to make the margin just eight points early in the quarter. A spectacular mark and goal to Riewoldt reduced the margin to five points, despite the Tigers kicking six goals to the Swans' five. Richmond held the Swans to their fourth goalless quarter for the year and had the momentum heading into the final quarter trailing by only six points.
FOURTH QUARTER
For the second time Martin kicked the first goal of the term for the Tigers to bring the scores level. With the momentum swinging towards his team, Martin had an opportunity to really hurt the Swans moments later but pulled his kick to give the Tigers a one-point lead for the first time since the opening minute of the match. A touch of Kieren Jack magic was the spark the Swans needed as he broke through a tackle to set up O'Keefe for his first goal. What followed were two goals in as many minutes to Josh Kennedy and then Reid as the momentum moved back in the Swans' favour. Lewis Jetta later kicked a goal to put the game almost out of reach for the Tigers halfway through the term. A late surge saw the Tigers get to within two goals before the Swans steadied for a hard-fought 10-point victory.
Sydney Swans 3.8 5.14 5.19 9.21 (75)
Richmond 2.3 4.7 6.7 9.11 (65)
GOALS
Sydney Swans: Reid 2, Jetta 2, Dennis-Lane, Malceski, Roberts-Thomson, O’Keefe, Kennedy
Richmond: Riewoldt 2, Martin 2, Nahas, Deledio, Vickery, Browne, Vickery
BEST
Sydney Swans: Seaby, O’Keefe, Johnson, Kennedy, Reid
Richmond: Martin, Cotchin, Rance, Grigg, Houli
INJURIES
Sydney Swans: Nil
Richmond: Luke McGuane replaced in the selected side by Jake Batchelor, David Astbury (dislocated knee)
SUBSTITUTES
Sydney Swans: Trent Dennis-Lane replaced by Kieren Jack in the third quarter
Richmond: David Astbury replaced by Tom Hislop in the first quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Ryan, Armstrong, McInerney
Official crowd: 23,782 at the SCG
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
