A Sydney Swans fightback falls just short against the top of the table Melbourne Demons at the MCG tonight, with the undefeated side claiming their eighth-straight win of the season after seeing off a brave Swans outfit to claim a nine-point victory.

Goals were spread evenly between the Swans, with Hayward (2), Tom Hickey, Jake Lloyd, Justin McInerney, Callum Sinclair and Top Papley all scoring in the see-sawing 10.7 (67) to 8.10 (58) clash.

Sydney jumped out to an early 12-point lead before Melbourne wrested a strong control, and the match meandered on – in a surprisingly flat manner for two free-flowing sides – through the first half in the Melbourne autumn drizzle.

But the Dees struggled to capitalise on their dominance, kicking 2.5 for the second term, the most comical miss of which saw Bayley Fritsch slipping over the goal line while attempting to pick up the ball.

The Swans never dropped their heads, kicking two goals to go into the final break just 10 points arrears, before Callum Sinclair showed some quick reflexes 20 seconds into the fourth to bring the margin to four.

The teams traded goals before Melbourne's Tom McDonald's fourth – after a soaring contested mark above a pack, including teammate Ben Brown – proved to be the match-sealer with around seven minutes remaining.

Led by Callum Mills, Josh Kennedy and Luke Parker, Sydney dominated the centre clearances 17-4, but Demons wrecking ball Clayton Oliver (35, 10 clearances, 500m gained) thrived in the damp conditions.

Dane Rampe made a welcome return to Sydney's defence from a broken finger, but champion Lance Franklin was blanketed by Steven May after two weeks off with bone bruising in his knee.

Battle of the big men
There's been a certain magic around Tom Hickey this year, and the Swans' journeyman took on one of the very best in the last few years in Max Gawn. It was an intriguing battle between the two big men, with the Demon comfortably taking the chocolates in the hitouts, but Hickey recording six clearances off his own boot. Their two stat lines were eerily similar, recording 16 touches and 186m gained apiece.

MELBOURNE     3.1     5.6     8.6     12.14     (86)  
SYDNEY            3.3     3.7     6.8      9.10      (64)  
 
GOALS  
Melbourne: McDonald 4, Brown 3, Melksham, Petracca, Spargo
Sydney: Hayward 2, McInerney, Hickey, Lloyd, Papley, Sinclair, Mills
 
BEST  
Melbourne: Oliver, McDonald, Petracca, Harmes, Salem, Jordon
Sydney: Parker, Rampe, Mills, Lloyd, Rowbottom, Hickey   

INJURIES  
Melbourne: Nil
Sydney: Nil  

SUBSTITUTES  
Melbourne: Chandler (unused)  
Sydney: Blakey (unused)  

Crowd: 35,567 at the MCG