Alex Johnson has been gifted the perfect result in his first game in almost six years, with Sydney defeating Collingwood by two points in an absolute thriller of a contest.
It marks the fifth game this round decided by less than a goal - the first time this feat has ever been achieved in VFL/AFL history.
Lance Franklin stole the show for the Swans with six goals, as ultimately their professionalism and previously unsighted attacking prowess came to the fore to defeat a gallant yet decimated Magpies outfit.
Both sides begun the game in a shootout between two forwards Franklin and Travis Varcoe, with both players kicking three goals apiece in the first term in an end-to-end fashion, until Magpies giant, Mason Cox, bucked the trend to give Collingwood a one-goal lead halfway through the first term.
With the Swans having lacked attacking impetus in previous weeks, it was refreshing to see them begin to take the game on and lead the inside 50 count heading into the first break, with both sides keen to adhere to the precedent already set this round in terms of close, attacking football.
After both sides began the term sluggishly, with basic skill errors and a high intensity portrayed from the two teams, Josh Daicos finally broke the stalemate after a superb tackle to extend the Magpies lead to 12 points.
Except for a Jordan Dawson goal for the Swans, the rest of the quarter belonged to Collingwood, who slotted another two goals through Brodie Grundy and Steele Sidebottom, as their statistical dominance began to show on the scoreboard.
The Magpies' dominance in the contested game was becoming more and more prevalent over an out-of-form Swans outfit, leading in contested possessions, tackles and contested marks, using this advantage to take a 17-point lead into the main break.
It only got better for the Swans, who booted five unanswered goals in the third term to put themselves in good stead heading into the last.
Sydney got the second half off to a flyer through long range goals to Dawson and Franklin, who slotted his fourth for the match, as well as a classy set shot from captain Josh Kennedy.
With Darcy Moore now out of the game through a hamstring injury, Collingwood’s defence was beginning to look rickety, and it showed as the Swans managed to enforce repeat entries and multiple marks inside 50.
Despite a goal to Ben Ronke, Collingwood managed to steady the ship with the Swans leading by a goal, and looked set to keep it that way until a costly moment of ill discipline from Brody Mihocek gifted Franklin a 50m penalty - his fifth goal of the match - and the Swans a 12-point advantage.
After Sydney once again flew out of the blocks through Franklin’s sixth goal, they appeared to have the game under control with an 18-point margin.
Collingwood, however, fought back valiantly, ruing their inaccuracy as they kicked three behinds in a row before Will Hoskin-Elliott kicked truly from 30m out to reduce the margin to eight points and raise some nerves in the Sydney camp.
After Hoskin-Elliott slotted once again from an impossible angle, alarm bells were ringing for the Swans, as they appeared to have switched off completely, allowing the Pies to get back to within two points.
Those alarm bells became full blown panic stations when Varcoe kicked his fourth to give the Magpies a hard earned five-point lead.
With all pandemonium ensuing inside the Swans forward 50, first-year forward Tom McCartin somehow managed to snag a goal from his backside 20m out to give the Swans a two-point lead, which they would ultimately hold onto to run out victorious over a devastated Magpies outfit.
Sydney will fight to keep their season alive when they face Melbourne next Sunday at the MCG, while Collingwood will aim to secure their position in the top-four against Brisbane next Saturday night at Etihad Stadium.
SYDNEY 3.2 4.4 9.6 11.7 (73)
COLLINGWOOD 4.1 7.3 7.6 10.11 (71)
GOALS
Sydney: Franklin 6, Dawson 2, Kennedy, McCartin, Ronke
Collingwood: Varcoe 4, Hoskin-Elliot 2, Cox, Grundy, Daicos, Sidebottom
BEST
Sydney: Franklin, Lloyd, Aliir, Rampe, Parker
Collingwood: Adams, Grundy, Varcoe, Crisp, Langdon
INJURIES
Sydney: Nil
Collingwood: Moore (hamstring)
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