All the talk leading into the game was why Sydney would not win. Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett were suspended, the Swans were coming off a shocker, Port had their season on the line.

The naysayers had more reason to doubt when a hamstrung Gary Rohan hobbled off in the second term, joined in the third term by Ted Richards, who was seeing stars.

But there is a reason why Port have not been in the eight all year, while the Swans have spent much of the season in the top four - and it was on show on Thursday night.

Good teams find a way to win, whereas mediocre ones, which Port must surely fall under this year, compete, tease but ultimately do not deliver.

Goals were expected to be hard to come by for the Swans, but their 2012 premiership-winning key forward combination of Adam Goodes and Sam Reid found six between them while Josh Kennedy chipped in with two to go with his 33 possessions in a best-on-ground performance.

The 10-point win was not one of Sydney's prettiest, but great reward for a team with nine players with less than 60 games' experience. For Port, their season is all but over.

Twice in the second half, the Swans were in positions where a lesser team would have buckled.

The first potential tipping point came when Richards was slammed into the turf by Jay Schulz in a tackle likely to draw attention from the match review panel.

Port had just kicked two quick goals to pinch an unlikely lead, and the Swans were now left to two fit men on the bench just 10 minutes into the third term. Port would not lead again.

The six-minute delay as Richards was driven off the ground on a motorised vehicle sapped Port's momentum.

Whatever was said in the Swans huddle must have worked - for they lifted. Their leaders, who accepted responsibility for last week's defeat, showed the way. Dan Hannebery was exceptional with 10 touches in the third term.

First, Kieren Jack snapped truly, then Adam Goodes rewound the clock with an electrifying burst up the Members wing for a 50-metre goal. For good measure, he kicked another deep in time on to give the Swans an invaluable 24-point buffer.

But with Rohan and Richards injured and a young ruckman on debut, the Swans were entitled to get the wobbles at some point.

With their season on the line, Port challenged in the final term. Goals to Hamish Hartlett and Robbie Gray brought the margin back to 11 points and it appeared the Swans were about to be caught in the second half again.

In racing parlance, they were under hard riding just to maintain stay afloat. Their break came when Jasper Pittard lost his feet in the pocket, gifting Lewis Jetta a crucial goal. It proved the sealer.

The Swans had the better of the first quarter everywhere except on the scoreboard.

Their forward line, minus their twin towers, resembled a pseudo interchange bench such were the number of players rotated through. But it functioned effectively, with the pace of Gary Rohan causing Port headaches, though it was Kennedy who bobbed up with two goals.

Port, somewhat surprisingly, were dangerous when they kicked long into attack. Normally, such entries are fodder for the Swans defence, but on two occasions Richards was deftly moved aside by Justin Westhoff for two marks and goals.

At the other end, Reid began to exert a similar influence. Twice he was able to get free of Alipate Carlisle to mark strongly and goal.

Reid's goals proved vital for the Swans, who needed something to hang their hat on after having the ball live in their forward half for much of the opening 20 minutes.

Any other night (i.e. if Franklin was playing) Port would have been put to the sword but their defence hung on grimly and they were rewarded with goals against the flow to Brendon Ah Chee and Chad Wingard.