THE SYDNEY Swans’ position in the AFL’s top four is under threat after they went down to a Hawthorn side boasting far greater attacking arsenal at the MCG on Sunday.

The Swans tried hard to pull back a big half-time deficit but were eventually run over by the third-placed Hawks by 31 points, going down 15.16 (106) to 10.15 (75).

And the damage could have been far worse had it not been for some errant kicking for goal by star Hawk Lance “Buddy” Franklin, who booted 4.7 from 14 shots at goal.

With the loss, Paul Roos’ men remain in fourth position but are just two premiership points ahead of Collingwood.

The Swans trailed by 33 points at the main break against Hawthorn and looked capable of clawing their way back after some stirring individual work, particularly from co-captain Brett Kirk and Adam Goodes.

But eventually the Hawks’ sheer weight of scoring power overwhelmed the Swans.

Four goals to one in the third quarter got the Swans within reach of Hawthorn.

The game had looked over at half-time as the Hawks simply had too many options in attack.

Franklin, Mark Williams and Jarryd Roughead were all a handful at stages while the Swans had to work hard for every score.

That was still the way in the third term but the Swans were able to restrict the Hawks’ number of forward entries, while they were far more systematic when going forward themselves.

Jarrad McVeigh booted the first goal after half-time and when second-gamer Nick Smith – a late replacement for Nick Malceski – kicked his first career goal it gave the visitors hope.

Hawthorn answered through Franklin and when Tadhg Kennelly’s shoulder popped out for the second time in the match things looked grim.

But Ryan O’Keefe goaled from a clever snap and then Amon Buchanan finally found his radar with just seconds remaining in the quarter to reduce the deficit to just 16 points.

However the Hawks got the all-important first goal of the final term through Roughead.

Michael O’Loughlin took a spectacular mark shortly after however he was too groggy to take his kick, although it mattered little as Buchanan slotted his shot at goal to keep the Swans in it.

But 16 points was as close as Roos’ team would get.

Williams speared through his fourth of the afternoon, and when Roughead and Rioli slammed home majors it was all over.

Early in the match, the Hawks looked switched on while the Swans seemed as though their turbulent week might have been affecting them.

Still, after 20 minutes the Swans had managed to scrounge its way to the lead and it looked as though it might be one of those days in which his team had made its name.

Hawthorn led by a goal at the first change although soon upon the resumption, what Roos didn’t what to happen, did.

The Hawks managed to get the ball inside 50 at a rate of knots, where “Buddy” was isolated.

He, along with his fellow forwards, ran riot as the Hawks piled on six goals to two to set up their win.

The Swans took until the 25th minute to boot their first, that coming after Ryan O’Keefe, who had been subdued until that point, grabbed a mark straight in front.

The second term would prove costly for the Swans, as they showed after the main change that they were able to match the team that until Sunday afternoon, they had enjoyed playing in recent clashes.

GOALS
Hawthorn: Williams 4, Franklin 4, Roughead 3, Hodge, Taylor, Young, Rioli
Sydney Swans: O’Loughlin 2, O’Keefe 2, Buchanan 2, Goodes, Playfair, McVeigh, Smith