Fremantle have suffered their sixth loss for the season after Sydney's plucky 11-point triumph in Round 17 as Hayden McLean booted the sealer with less than two minutes remaining at the SCG.
Freo fought hard all day and got within one point in the final quarter, but were never able to steal the lead in the 14.10 (94) to 12.11 (83) loss to the Swans on Sunday.
The 31-year-old Brody Grundy set the tone whether matched up on the athletic Luke Jackson or more bustling Sean Darcy, as the Swans set up their win with the first nine centre clearances of the game and finished ahead 41-32 in the overall clearance count.
Grundy finished with 20 disposals and a game-high 12 clearances as well as 33 hitouts as he arguably won the ruck battle even as Jackson spent more time forward and booted two goals, while Darcy had 22 hitouts and six clearances.
While the Swans lacked a spark in their forward half with Papley substituted out of the game at the main break, last year’s beaten grand finalists showed further signs of returning to top form with their star trio back together in the midfield.
Errol Gulden was back to his brilliant best in his third match of the season as he directed traffic and opened up Freo while gathering 25 disposals and booting an important goal in the final term.
Chad Warner (24 disposals, one goal) and Isaac Heeney (21) made their typical impact but the Swans will be just as buoyed by the return to form of Jake Lloyd (20, two) and captain Callum Mills (game-high 26).
But few Swans were as important to the outcome as James Jordon who not only curtailed the influence of Caleb Serong but made his mark going the other way with a pair of first-half goals.
Serong only had four disposals at the main break and had little impact on the contest as he finished with 11 touches.
Shai Bolton was another to suffer from a slow start before coming to life in the second half of his milestone match, while Jordan Clark was quieter than usual with 13 disposals as the Swans shut down their prime movers.
In a clash between two contrasting styles, the Swans were more likely to run-and-gun to quickly take space on their transitions while Freo were comfortable chipping their way up the field.
The defeat ends Fremantle's six-match winning streak and knocks them out of the top eight, while the Swans stay within three wins of the finals places and with form just as likely to shape the finals race.
With several Freo stars down for the day, Corey Wagner stepped up to gather 22 disposals and Andrew Brayshaw battled hard to finish with 24 before his side left their run too late.
Swans’ injury curse strikes again as Papley hamstrung
Sydney has understandably looked much better and been more competitive since bringing together its handful of stars in recent weeks. But the Swans will again have to manage without Tom Papley for at least part of the run home after their firestarter injured a hamstring on the cusp of the main break. Papley was charging at top speed through the centre square as he gathered a bouncing ball but after delivering inside 50 then immediately grabbed at the top of his left leg. The zippy forward was left shaking his head in frustration as he walked to the bench and faces another stint on the sidelines just three matches after returning from a bone fracture in his heel.
SYDNEY 3.3 8.5 11.8 14.10 (94)
FREMANTLE 2.3 5.6 10.6 12.11 (83)
GOALS
Sydney: McLean 3, Jordon 2, Lloyd 2, Amartey 2, Grundy, Warner, Blakey, Gulden, Hayward
Fremantle: Treacy 2, Jackson 2, Voss, Amiss, Wagner, Serong, Dudley, Reid, O'Meara, Frederick
BEST
Sydney: Grundy, Jordon, Gulden, Warner, Mills, Heeney, Lloyd
Fremantle: Jackson, Wagner, Brayshaw, Ryan, O’Driscoll
INJURIES
Sydney: Papley (hamstring)
Fremantle: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Sydney: Matty Roberts (replaced Tom Papley at half-time)
Fremantle: Jaeger O'Meara (replaced Patrick Voss in the third quarter)
Crowd: 32,007 at the SCG
