The Sydney Swans could find themselves as low as fourth after Saturday night's loss to Collingwood. The result snaps a six-game winning run and drops the Swans below Geelong into third spot. The reigning premiers could be overtaken by Fremantle by the time the weekend is over, given the Dockers are strongly favoured to beat GWS in Perth on Sunday.

Collingwood extended its unbeaten streak to three games and improved to a 13-6 win-loss record, level with Richmond. The win also gives the Magpies hope of earning a top four finish by the time the finals roll around. Meanwhile, Collingwood must hope the annual fixture at the Olympic Stadium is set in stone given it has won nine of its 12 matches at the venue against the Swans.

A poster boy for perseverance, Swans defender Ted Richards brought up game No.200 on Saturday night. He managed just 33 of those games in five years with Essendon before making the move to Sydney ahead of the 2006 season. He then found himself stuck in the reserves in 2010, but battled on to become an All Australian and premiership winner last year. On Saturday, he gave up 14kg to Travis Cloke, with the Collingwood spearhead kicking two goals but was otherwise well held by the milestone man.

The Swans spearhead had a second big game in as many weeks, booting six against the Magpies. All were from set shots - three came from marks and three were from free kicks. Tippett also kicked a half dozen against the Western Bulldogs last week and has 27 from eight games after a delayed start to the season. The 26-year-old saw off defender Nathan Brown and also gave Lachlan Keeffe plenty of problems.

It is not too often you see one of the top 10 players in the AFL start the game on the bench, but that is where Collingwood's Dane Swan found himself at the opening bounce. Swan, who sits seventh in the Official AFL Player Ratings, did not spend long on the pine though, entering the field of battle in the fourth minute of the match. He finished the game as one of the Magpies' best players.