ESSENDON was undermanned, undersized and under serious threat of a monstering against a more experienced Sydney outfit. That was before the opening bounce at Homebush.

By the time the first term was over, the fate of the Bombers looked far worse.

The travelling side could manage only two points while Sydney — led by rampant ruckman Darren Jolly, who is not renowned for his deft skills but whose two first-quarter goals included a brilliant snap — looked set for a cruisey day at the office.

A contest between Matthew Lloyd and his opponent Craig Bolton in the Dons' first meaningful foray forward provided a snapshot of the emerging trend. They were in a one-on-one contest when, with the ball fast approaching, Bolton slipped over. By the time it came within arm's length, however, the Sydney defender had not only managed to regain his feet, he also forced a turnover while the Dons' skipper stood idly by. At the first break Sydney's lead was four goals.

But then Essendon — perhaps inspired by Sydney's Nick Malceski, who proved by returning 13 weeks after rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament that football fates are made to be re-written — kick-started the second quarter with four unanswered goals. That the Bombers' chief ruckman, David Hille, scored two of those majors gave the reversal of roles more symmetry.

The difference was suddenly three points and then Sydney lost a man for the day — Tadhg Kennelly, the attacking backman Malceski based his game on and with whom he now interchanges on the injury list.

Two late goals, to Henry Playfair and Michael O'Loughlin, gave the Swans a 16-point buffer at half-time. That was extended to 22 points after O'Loughlin took a spectacularly courageous mark that at first had him doubling over in pain. He then kicked accurately from more than 50 metres out.

Unperturbed, despite kicking into a tricky breeze, Essendon — profiting from the return of Mark McVeigh, who led his side at the clearances — rebooted. Andrew Welsh goaled nine minutes in and then Leroy Jetta brought a playground trick to the football field. It was debatable whether he meant it, but Jetta directed the ball through the spread legs of two Swans and it rolled through. Eighteen minutes in, the difference was down to 12 points.

But that was where the fun ended for the Dons as the Swans proceeded to turn the rest of the match into a training drill and Essendon did not muster another goal. Sydney won the clearances 32-18 after half-time, and had 12 more inside-50 entries (17-5) in the final term.

"I think our younger bodies started to fall off Sydney halfway through that third quarter," Bombers coach Matthew Knights said. "And once you fall off those tackles they get those handballs out and they overlap and then it makes it very difficult for your defence and they start to score heavily."

O'Loughlin finished with six, and the one-eyed crowd had goals aplenty to cheer — a string of 13. The only one missing from the party was Barry Hall. In the 12th minute of the final term, however, an image of the suspended spearhead, who was sitting in the crowd, was projected on the ground's big screens. The scoreboard operators at the Olympic stadium were switched on. But not quite as much at the Swans.