THE SYDNEY Swans have secured a place in this year's finals series – their sixth consecutive September campaign – despite losing to Collingwood by 45 points at Telstra Dome on Saturday night.

The Swans 10.13 (73) went down to the Magpies 18.10 (118) for the sixth time in a row, meaning they haven't beaten Collingwood since round 13, 2005.

With the Brisbane Lions losing to Carlton by six points in a thriller at the Gabba, the potential 'elimination final' showdown between the Swans and Lions in round 22 at the SCG will not eventuate.

The Swans will play off in their 11th finals series since 1996 – they have missed the eight just twice during that period – after an excellent middle part of 2008 during which they won six in a row from rounds eight to 13.

But the Swans have had a tough second half of the season, with significant injuries and form troubling the side. The Swans have now won just two of their past eight matches.

A blistering start from Collingwood all but ended the Swans' night – the Pies booted eight goals to two in the first term and by half time had 11 goals to four.

Jude Bolton was outstanding for the Swans with a team-high 29 disposals, while teammates Marty Mattner (20 possessions) and Heath Grundy (21 touches) also worked hard, predominantly from the back half. 

In front of goal, Barry Hall and Jarred Moore contributed three majors each.

For the Pies, Travis Cloke was the standout of the match with five goals, 15 touches and seven marks, while Dane Swan, who won a match-high 31 disposals, Leon Davis (22 touches and two goals) and Scott Pendlebury (28 possessions) were also among their best.

The Swans went in unchanged; the Pies lost Nathan Brown before the match, with Shannon Cox his replacement.

Collingwood got off to a flier. Eleven minutes into the match, the Pies had five unanswered goals and a 31-point lead. 

It took third-gamer Pat Veszpremi to open his side's account at the 18-minute mark and when Hall broke past Shane Wakelin and Ryan Cook to snap the Swans' second in time-on, the margin was back to 23 points.

But when Davis and Cloke became multiple goalscorers, the Pies ran away to a six-goal break at quarter time.

Collingwood's dominance continued early in the second term when it kicked three in a row to lead by 54 points at the 10-minute mark.

Despite the Pies' commanding display, their scoring dried up for the rest of the term, and the Swans managed two goals through Moore and Darren Jolly, who kicked truly after the siren. But the deficit was still 45 points at the long change.

Any thought of a Swans' comeback in the third quarter was ended when the Pies booted four in succession to jump to a 68-point advantage – the biggest lead for the match.

The only worry for Collingwood in this period was a calf injury to skipper Scott Burns.

The Swans booted just two goals for the term – both in red-time – through Adam Goodes and Hall, as Collingwood headed into the final quarter with a 55-point lead.

Although the Swans outscored the Pies in the final term with 10 scoring shots to five – 4.6 to 3.2 – it was much too late for any significant turnaround.

Collingwood   8.3   11.6   15.8   18.10 (118)
Sydney   2.3   4.3   6.7   10.13 (73)

GOALS
Collingwood: Cloke 5, Anthony 2, Davis 2, McCarthy, Pendlebury, O'Bree, Medhurst, Clarke, Swan, Lockyer, Goldsack, Cox
Sydney: Hall 3, Moore 3, Veszpremi, Jolly, Goodes, Jack

BEST
Collingwood: Davis, Swan, Cloke, Pendlebury, Lockyer, O'Bree, Cox
Sydney: Mattner, J. Bolton, Grundy, Goodes, Hall

INJURIES
Collingwood: Brown (general soreness), replaced in selected side by Cox, Burns (calf)
Sydney: Nil

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Vozzo, Rosebury, Jeffery

Official crowd: 45,570 at Telstra Dome