IF EVER Paul Roos was going to trot out a coaching cliche, surely it was going to be immediately after yesterday's match at Manuka Oval against Melbourne.

His Swans had done exactly what they were expected to do — win, and seemingly comfortably, according to the 40-point final margin of 17.12 (114) to Melbourne's 11.8 (74).

But it was hardly one of their most inspiring performances of the season.

Sydney had led by six goals early and a percentage-boosting win appeared certain. But a lacklustre, un-Swans-like second and third terms let the bottom-of-the-ladder Demons back into the contest before Sydney went on with the job.

Still, heading into next week's bye, and having won their sixth game in succession, you wouldn't begrudge any coach for wheeling out the old "we did what we had to do and we're just happy to get the competition points" line.

Instead, Roos surmised: "I think you've got to put it in the context of the season. I didn't think we played great today — you would take a 40-point win at the start of the game — but we didn't play super, but we turn (into the break) at 9½ wins and three (losses), so it's probably more about the last 13 weeks than necessarily about today."

Spoiling his cliche-free run, he added: "But it was good to get away with a win and then have a break.

"Six wins in a row, you know, it's hard to keep coming back week-in and week-out, regardless of the opposition. I just felt today we didn't play our best footy but we came away with a really solid win, and now we have a week off … still, a seven-goal win in AFL footy is a good win."

Sydney hits the split round in fourth place on the ladder with nine wins, a draw and three losses, but has an imposing run ahead. Seven of the nine games remaining are against teams in the top eight. It meets the top three teams — Geelong, Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs — Collingwood twice, the Brisbane Lions, and Adelaide, plus 10th-placed Carlton and 14th-placed Fremantle,

"It's good to be there (in the top four) at this time of year but there's a long way to go and we've got some really hard games coming up," Roos said. "Obviously to have only lost three games at this stage is pleasing but there is still a lot of footy ahead.

"But to have lost (Barry) Hall for seven (matches to suspension), (Nick) Malceski for eight (knee), and (Tadhg) Kennelly missed a couple (knee), we've had quite a few injuries and had some young guys coming into the team, so I'd certainly take 9½ and three just after the halfway mark."

Sydney, led by Hall with five goals, improved its record to five wins from seven trips to Canberra.

The Swans had five unanswered goals inside the first 12 minutes and while the Demons did eventually trouble the scorer, by the first break, Sydney led by 30 points.

A dull second term saw Sydney increase the lead by only two points by half-time, before Melbourne moved to within 11 points late in the third term. Matthew Bate did his best to inspire his teammates with four majors — three in the first half — while Lynden Dunn kept Adam Goodes quiet and Aaron Davey sparked his side's third quarter fightback.

But the Swans regrouped and kicked five goals to one in the last quarter, leaving Melbourne coach Dean Bailey to lament that his side was unable to play with the same spirit for the entire match.

"It is nice to see but you want to see it from the start and that is where we needed to be," he said.

SYDNEY 7.2 10.5 12.10 17.12 (114)
MELBOURNE 2.2 5.3 10.5 11.8 (74)

GOALS Sydney: Hall 5, Mattner 2, O'Loughlin 2, Buchanan 2, Goodes, O'Keefe, Jolly, Malceski, Roberts-Thomson, Playfair. Melbourne: Bate 4, Wonaeamirri 3, Miller, P Johnson, McLean, Bruce.

BEST Sydney: Mattner, Hall, Kirk, O'Loughlin, Jolly. Melbourne: Bate, Dunn, Green, P Johnson, Davey.

INJURIES Nil

CROWD 11,437 at Manuka Oval.

UMPIRES D Sully, S Grun, M Head.