THE SYDNEY Swans have retained top spot on the ladder and bundled an injury-hit West Coast out of the top four, beating their great modern rival by 52 points in a high-stakes clash at Patersons Stadium on Sunday.

The Swans were the last team to beat West Coast in Perth, in round three last season, so it was fitting that they ended the Eagles' 18-game winning streak at home.

It was the Swans' fifth straight win over their 2005 and 2006 Grand Final opponents, with the final score 18.13 (121) to 10.9 (69). 

With its forward line decimated and without key midfielder Luke Shuey (suspension), the Eagles were vulnerable, but they still boasted match-winners in ruckmen Dean Cox and Nic Naitanui. 

Shutting down the star duo was the starting point for the Swans' 12th win of the season, with ruckmen Shane Mumford and Mike Pyke crucial in the result.

No team has beaten the Eagles in hit-outs this season, but the Swans got close and the 46-50 result was enough to give their army of blue-collar midfielders room to work.   

Daniel Hannebery (42 disposals and eight inside 50s), Kieren Jack (29 and nine clearances), Ryan O'Keefe (39 and eight), and Josh Kennedy (27 and seven) were all superb and their work in the engine room gave the visitors a 65-48 edge in inside 50s. 

"I thought the contested ball was really important to us and we were able to get our hands on that, which then meant we were able to play the way we wanted to play," Swans coach John Longmire said on Sunday night.
 
"You come over here and you play arguably the best ruck combination in the competition and our midfield group and our ruckmen really understood where that challenge was.
 
"You take a break even a lot of the time against these blokes and if we got a break even we were happy with that."

O'Keefe was particularly effective running with West Coast midfielder Matt Priddis, who still had 25 disposals, but lacked his usual influence in the first half. He rebounded to finish with 10 clearances.  

Midfielders Chris Masten (three goals) and Daniel Kerr (31 and six clearances), and rebounding defenders Jacob Brennan and Brad Sheppard worked hard for the home team.

There were questions around where West Coast would find its goals on Sunday, with four of the clubs leading goalkickers from last year absent, as well as Josh Hill (hamstring).

When small forward Ashton Hams (soreness) was withdrawn late and replaced by teenager Murray Newman, a bad situation got worse.
 
Then, late in the third quarter, young key forward Jack Darling was substituted out of the match with hamstring tightness.
 
Coach John Worsfold said the 20-year-old was tight early in the game and able to keep playing, but it became "too risky to keep him going".
 
The coach said the Eagles had been clearly beaten in contested ball (179-150) but injuries and suspensions had played a role in the result.
 
"We were shuffling players around to get a team out there a little bit today," Worsfold said.
 
"They're probably close to the most experienced team in the competition and tonight we were fairly inexperienced in names and also in positions where guys were trying to play for us.
 
"In terms of players available, this might be our least for the year."
 
Both teams enjoyed periods of momentum early in the game before the Swans broke out to a 23-point lead early in the second quarter as line-breakers Lewis Jetta and Adam Goodes worked into the game.
 
It was inside the stoppages where the Swans gained their edge, however, with Jack a clear best-on-ground to half-time, winning 15 of his 17 disposals in contests.
 
With the Eagles' forward line decimated, defender Will Schofield was sent into attack in the first half, but the move robbed the home team of crucial rebound in the back half.
 
When Darling was substituted out of the game late in the third term, the home team was 29 points down with seemingly no obvious goalkicking candidates.
 
The Swans booted five last quarter goals, which could prove crucial as percentage plays a significant role in finals placings this season.

WEST COAST         4.3   7.7     8.8   10.9 (69)
SYDNEY SWANS    5.1  10.4  13.8  18.13 (121)
 
GOALS
West Coast: Masten 3, Darling 2, Scott Selwood, Sheppard, Cox, Newman, Naitanui
Sydney Swans: Jetta 4, Bolton 3, Reid 3, McVeigh, Bird, McGlynn, Goodes, Pyke, Roberts-Thomson, Everitt, Kennedy

BEST
West Coast: Masten, Kerr, Scott Selwood, Priddis, Sheppard, Brennan
Sydney Swans: O’Keefe, Hannebery, Jack, Kennedy, Mumford, Grundy, Jetta

INJURIES
West Coast: TBA
Sydney Swans: Lewis Roberts-Thomson (head)
 
SUBSTITUTES
West Coast: Koby Stevens replaced Jack Darling in the third quarter
Sydney Swans: Andrejs Everitt replaced Lewis Roberts-Thomson (head) at half-time
 
Reports: Jack Darling (hamstring tightness)
 
Umpires: Margetts, Stevic, Findlay
 
Official crowd: 39,152 at Patersons Stadium

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs