A costly North Melbourne interchange infringement in the final minute has gifted Sydney a much-needed three-point victory in an AFL thriller.
Swans tall Hayden McLean was awarded a free kick for the Kangaroos' error and converted from point-blank range to seal the 14.9 (93) to 14.6 (90) win at Marvel Stadium.
The penalty came when Liam Shiels and Will Phillips left the ground and were replaced by Will Powell and Hugh Greenwood.
The two interchanges took North Melbourne over the maximum 75 for the game.
"It's obviously a big price to pay, but that's the rules," Swans veteran Lance Franklin told Fox Footy.
Kangaroos fans at the northern end of the ground - where McLean kicked the match-winner - vented their anger by hurling rubbish onto the field.
Sydney's triumph snapped a four-match losing streak, improving their record to 4-6, but came at a cost with ruckman Peter Ladhams added to a long injury list.
Ladhams sustained a suspected serious ankle injury when he landed awkwardly at a centre bounce ruck contest.
Play was held up for several minutes before Ladhams, who had just returned from an arm injury, was driven off the field moments before three-quarter time.
The Swans led by 15 points at that stage but coughed up the next five goals and looked gone before goals to Isaac Heeney and McLean put them back in front with less than a minute left on the clock.
Swans co-captain Luke Parker was huge for his side with 27 disposals, six clearances and a goal despite twice being forced off under the blood rule.
Chad Warner tallied 31 disposals, seven clearances and a goal, and Franklin finished with three majors in a welcome return to form.
The 36-year-old champion had faced heavy criticism after going goalless in consecutive matches for the first time in a decade over the preceding fortnight.
But he got the better of Kangaroos defenders Griffin Logue and Ben McKay in a fitting Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round contribution.
North Melbourne midfielder Bailey Scott had 33 disposals, seven clearances and a goal in his best performance of his career.
Co-captain Jy Simpkin (28 disposals, eight clearances, two goals) and Sheezel (25, two, two) were also outsanding but couldn't drag their side over the line.
Nick Larkey shook off early goal-kicking yips with two important majors after Ladhams' injury and Callum Coleman-Jones also booted two.
McLean and Ladhams finished with two each for Sydney.
Franklin took his career goal tally to 1057, lifting him level with former Geelong and North Melbourne champion Doug Wade into equal-fourth spot on the competition's all-time goal-kicking list.
