THE SYDNEY Swans' class has proved too much for Richmond to counter as the Tigers suffered a 47-point loss to the reigning premiers at the SCG. 

After an free-flowing first quarter, Jesse White and Kurt Tippett shared seven goals as the Swans piled on 11 goals to the Tigers' four en route to a 16.14 (110) to 9.9 (63) victory. 

Kieren Jack (26 disposals), Ryan O'Keefe (30) and Tom Mitchell (25) were also among the Swans' best as they moved closer to shoring up a top-four berth.

Dustin Martin was outstanding early for Richmond with two excellent first-quarter goals and Jack Riewoldt clearly won his contest with Ted Richards, but only managed three goals from at least twice as many shots at goal. 

Scores were level at the end of an entertaining opening stanza but the Swans were dominant from that point on. The hosts' superior ability to run both ways in the midfield was increasingly apparent as Jack, O'Keefe and Mitchell constantly found themselves with time and space that the Tigers rarely found. 

For all the Swans' ascendancy, the gap was still only 15 points at half-time but it blew open in the third quarter as White began to dominate the Swans' forward half. 

He booted two goals and could easily have had three for the quarter, and was a constant threat in attack. With Pyke and Tippett (three goals for the game) also bobbing up, Richmond's defence was simply unable to cope with the onslaught despite the best efforts of Alex Rance and Troy Chaplin.

The Swans led by 33 points at the last change and when Mitchell booted the first goal of the final term, before spinning out of a pack and feeding O'Keefe who in turn found Jed Lamb for another major, the game was effectively over. 

The Tigers' pain in defeat was compounded in the final term when Tyrone Vickery was carried from the field with concussion and Ricky Petterd suffered a suspected groin injury. 

Richmond remains sixth on the ladder with a narrow percentage margin over seventh-placed Collingwood while the Swans rise to third, half a game ahead of Essendon and half a game behind Geelong.