The Dogs lost their second match in a row following last week’s 101-point thumping at the hands of Geelong, with the Swans triumphing 17.12 (114) to 10.10 (70).
Worse news with the finals beckoning were injuries to skipper Brad Johnson, who damaged an achilles, and midfielder Adam Cooney, who suffered a hamstring injury in the second quarter and failed to return.
Dale Morris also hurt a shoulder in the final term and Ben Hudson is likely to come under the match review panel's scrutiny for a late bump on Dan Hannebery.
Cooney is expected to miss two to three matches, while there is no word yet on Johnson's fate.
Matthew Boyd was the best of the disappointing Dogs, Ryan Griffen battled hard and Barry Hall (two goals) presented tirelessly in his return to his former home ground.
The Bulldogs made the early running, silencing the Swans' biggest crowd of the season with four of the first six goals, but the Swans fought back to trail by just three points at quarter time.
The Swans' rally was admirable after their uncertain start but no one at the SCG expected the onslaught that followed. Jack led the way with 10 touches and two goals as they piled on the first six goals of the quarter to lead by 34 points just before half time.
The Dogs' woes were compounded by Cooney's injury before a late reply from Jarrad Grant brought the margin under five goals at the long break.
Undaunted, the visitors drew within 15 points after booting the first two goals of the third stanza but if ever the footy gods smiled on a team, it was upon the Swans in the following five minutes.
A speculative snap from Jude Bolton took an outrageous right-angled bounce to settle the home crowd's nerves, followed by a nonchalant one-handed mark and goal from Jarrad McVeigh that quelled the Dogs' charge.
With one of their key playmakers out of action and facing an opponent spurred by the emotion of a fond farewell, the odds appeared nearly insurmountable for the Dogs.
So it proved as the Swans held firm in the final quarter, as goals to Lewis Jetta, Dennis-Lane and a fairytale sealer from Kirk shored up a finals berth.
Sydney Swans 4.4 10.6 13.10 17.12 (114)
Western Bulldogs 5.1 6.3 9.7 10.10 (70)
Goals
Sydney Swans: Dennis-Lane 4, Jack 2, Bolton 2, Bevan 2, McVeigh 2, Jetta 2, Kirk 2, White
Western Bulldogs: Hudson 2, Eagleton 2, Hall 2, Grant 2, Gilbee, Jones
Best
Sydney Swans: Bolton, Dennis-Lane, Jack, Kirk, Meredith, McVeigh
Western Bulldogs: Eagleton, Boyd, Hall, Lake, Griffen, Hargrave
Injuries
Sydney Swans: Mumford (knee)
Western Bulldogs: Cooney (hamstring), Johnson (achilles)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, Rosebury, Meredith
Official crowd: 36,554
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
