Swans into top eight with crazy after-siren victory

Sydney have snatched an incredible one-point victory over Essendon at the SCG, kicking two goals in the final 80 seconds to win.

The Swans trailed 85-80 with just 24 seconds remaining on Friday night, but Gary Rohan took an incredible one-handed mark in the goal square to set up the winning goal.

Rohan converted after the final siren to give his side an 86-85 win, sparking crazy scenes amongst Swans players and fans.

The Bombers looked set to complete an epic come-from-behind win, piling on seven consecutive goals to hit the front with 10 minutes remaining.

The visitors pushed it out to a 19-point lead late in the final quarter but the Swans rallied in remarkable fashion.

They cut the margin to five points when Lance Franklin marked outside the 50m arc, wheeled around and kicked his sixth behind of the night.

Soon after, the Sherrin landed in the lap of Rohan, who had cost Sydney two goals during the Bombers' preceding blitz, and the flame-haired speedster did not disappoint.

The Swans won 11.20 (86) to 12.13 (85), surging into the AFL's top eight for the first time this season.

MATCH CENTRE: Sydney v Essendon

"It's not often you go through games like that," Sydney coach John Longmire said.

"We were in a lot of trouble with 4:30 to go and 19 points down.

"You're in the lap of the players (in those situations) ... the boys worked through it really well and we had a bit of luck."

Essendon coach John Worsfold was bitterly disappointed but refused to criticise his players, who faded in the frantic finish.

"Their attitude was outstanding. It hurts not to hold on and win the game," Worsfold said.

"We turned it around in the second half .. there's a couple of things we'd like to do better in the last few minutes but that's learning for us."

Sydney's comeback suffered a controversial blow in the final stages when Lance Franklin was denied a goal by a contentious score review.

On-field umpires were of the belief that the ball was touched on the line, and although replays appeared to show no touch, the call stood.

Both sides were guilty of crippling turnovers and inaccurate goalkicking, especially in the opening half.

Swans skipper Josh Kennedy, as has been the case throughout his side's revival, was inspirational in the engine room and likely to earn the three Brownlow votes.

The Swans had won the past six meetings between the clubs, while Franklin had averaged a bag of five goals in his 13 clashes with Essendon.

They successfully shot down one of the hoodoos. Franklin was held goalless by the Bombers for the first time in his 260-game career.

It wasn't entirely the visitors' doing. Franklin had the yips, as did fellow key forward Sam Reid, in what was far from Sydney's most-polished performance of the year.

The Swans, however, move to a position where finals are somehow on the cards.

It is some achievement, given they opened 2017 with six straight losses. No club has rallied from a 0-5 start and reached finals, let alone 0-6.