THE SYDNEY Swans have taken a huge step towards securing a finals berth, defeating top-eight rival Hawthorn by 44 points at the SCG on Saturday afternoon.

The Swans led by 47 points after a superb first half, but the Hawks rallied to trail by less than four goals midway through the third quarter.

However, the home side steadied to claim their 10th win of the season, 19.15 (129) to 13.7 (85), and leapfrog the Hawks into seventh place.

Kieren Jack was outstanding at the clearances all day, Heath Grundy held Lance Franklin at bay for three quarters while Ryan OKeefe and Adam Goodes shared seven goals.

Draftee Lewis Jetta finally broke a run of 19 successive behinds with his first league goal midway through the final term, sparking a standing ovation from the SCG crowd.

The Hawks had few four-quarter performers, with Jordan Lewis, Sam Mitchell and Brent Guerra among their best. Franklin finished with four goals, all of which came in the second half.

The Swans were utterly dominant in the first half, rekindling the form that carried them to the top of the ladder after six rounds.

Jack, Jude Bolton and Josh Kennedy controlled the clearances, allowing their outside runners plenty of time and space to execute their passes.

In contrast, the likes of Shaun Burgoyne and Clinton Young were locked down at every opportunity and the Hawks appeared to miss Cyril Rioli's creativity in tight spaces.

The Swans led by almost eight goals at half time but the Hawks emerged a far more committed unit in the third quarter, booting five of the first six goals.

Lewis was a constant threat across half-forward, setting up teammates and kicking two majors of his own. However, his influence was matched at the other end by Ryan O'Keefe, who added two goals for the term.

When Adam Goodes added his third goal late in the quarter, the Swans led by 30 points and the Hawks' revival looked to have been in vain.

An early goal to White in the final quarter made the margin six goals and effectively snuffed out the visitors' charge despite Franklin's best efforts for the Hawks.

The Swans now face a trip west to take on fifth-placed Fremantle while Hawthorn, which has failed to win its past three games, hosts a resurgent Melbourne at the MCG.

Sydney Swans   5.4   10.10   13.12   19.15 (129)
Hawthorn   1.1   3.5   9.6   13.7 (85)

Goals
Sydney Swans: O'Keefe 4, Goodes 3, McGlynn 3, Dennis-Lane 3, Moore, McVeigh, Jack, Kennedy, White, Jetta
Hawthorn: Franklin 4, Lewis 2, Roughead 2, Stratton, Ladson, Bateman, Moss, Burgoyne

BEST
Sydney Swans: O'Keefe, Jack, Goodes, Grundy, McGlynn, McVeigh
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Gibson, Lewis, Franklin, Burgoyne, Stratton

INJURIES
Sydney Swans: Nil
Hawthorn: Nil

REPORTS
Sydney Swans: Nil
Hawthorn: Nil

Umpires: Donlon, Chamberlain, Jeffery

Official crowd: 29,431 at the SCG

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.