THE Sydney Swans' top-four hopes have been left hanging by a thread after a 16-point loss to the Western Bulldogs at Manuka Oval in Canberra yesterday.
After bursting out of the blocks with four goals in the opening six minutes of the game, the Swans struggled to match the movement and finesse of the second-placed Bulldogs, whose eight-goals-to-one second term set up their triumph.
This Swans are now in a desperate scrap to keep fourth spot, with the Kangaroos level on points while Adelaide and St Kilda sit just two points further back.
Most worryingly for coach Paul Roos, Sydney still have a heavy injury list, a lack of forward options and a run home which ranks as the toughest of any team in the eight.
Jarrad McVeigh did his part with six goals, Ryan O'Keefe worked hard and highly rated first-year midfielder Patrick Veszpremi impressed, but they were in the minority as the load was shared between too few.
For the Bulldogs, Scott Welsh and Brad Johnson kicked five and four respectively, but the constant supply from a midfield featuring Adam Cooney, Mitch Hahn, Lindsay Gilbee and Daniel Cross proved overwhelming.
However, it was Sydney who got away to the perfect start in front of the 13,550-strong crowd, with McVeigh nailing his first of the day on the run from directly in front, before wobbling through his second moments later.
Luke Brennan then added a third and when Ted Richards goaled from a strong mark, the Bulldogs, coming off two straight defeats, were on notice.
For a team that could barely cobble together six goals against Adelaide last week, this seven-minute burst temporarily answered the questions lingering over the Swans' ability to kick a winning score.
Eventually, the Dogs found their way into the game with goals to Johnson and Ryan Hargrave, both of whom played pivotal roles as the match wore on.
Kieran Jack put the margin back to three goals with a tremendous 55-metre punt, but a well-worked move from the "hosts" ended with a nice goal to Daniel Giansiracusa, keeping the margin to 13 points at quarter-time.
The Bulldogs continued to peg back Sydney's lead in the second term, and it took a brilliant piece of hard running from Johnson - who hassled two opponents into errors - to give Welsh the opportunity to soccer home his first goal.
Sydney first-gamer Ryan Brabazon had a respectable debut but he suffered a moment to forget as Matthew Boyd sharked his handball then kicked a goal, cutting the lead to two points.
Two goals each to Johnson and Welsh saw the Swans' lead translate to a 22-point deficit and, astonishingly, the match looked all but over.
Brownlow Medal fancy Cooney added another before a series of mistakes resulted in Jarrod Harbrow making it eight goals unanswered.
Just before half-time, Barry Hall, who was well beaten to that point by Brian Lake, managed to add a badly needed goal.
Attempts to engineer a third-term comeback from the Swans were undone - again - by the inability of their forwards to convert accurately around goal. Three straight points were followed by a terrific pack mark from Luke Brennan, but he too missed.
Finally Josh Hill made them pay with a fine piece of crumbing, but that snapped Sydney into action. Hall - who was starting to come into the game - took a strong pack mark before converting, and then a running goal to McVeigh brought the margin to just over three goals.
Welsh marked and goaled but a quick reply came from the hungry Veszpremi, who kept the Swans' hopes alive going into three-quarter time. Sydney were the better team in the third term, but that simply didn't translate on the scoreboard.
The Dogs snuffed out any hope for the Swans with early fourth-quarter goals to Hahn and Welsh, and when McVeigh's fourth was countered by Gilbee's bouncing goal, the result was sealed.
McVeigh drilled his fifth and six late in the day to cap a sensational individual display, but it was an otherwise dark day for the Swans.
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