The Sydney Swans have claimed a 22-point victory over Carlton at the SCG tonight, following a dominant fourth quarter performance in their Marn Grook clash tonight.

Forward Lance Franklin booted three goals on Sunday, including a trademark showstopper from the cusp of the 50m arc, to help settle a pulsating and pressure-laden contest in which momentum shifted throughout.

Isaac Heeney, who was awarded the Goodes-O'Loughlin Medal as best on ground, and Tom Papley also kicked three goals each as the Swans pulled ahead after three quarter-time to prevail 15.10 (100) to 11.12 (78).

Franklin now has 966 career goals, with expectation building that he will soon become the sixth man in VFL/AFL history to celebrate 1000 goals.

Franklin drew plenty of attention from the Blues' defenders as Sydney booted 4.4 to 1.3 in a decisive fourth term.

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Papley's simply too dangerous when given space

Sydney's Tom Papley hangs out the back of the stoppage resulting in this beauty

Four-time Coleman medallist Franklin and Carlton's Harry McKay, who leads the race for this season's goalkicking award, both loomed as potential match-winning forwards throughout a game played in intermittent drizzle.

McKay clutched a game-high four contested marks and slotted three goals. But he will curse a day of what-ifs, near misses and five behinds, having hit the post and twice been trapped by desperate goal-saving tackles in front of a crowd of 29,882

Franklin and Eddie Betts, the two most prolific Indigenous players in VFL/AFL history, both produced highlight-reel moments in the Marn Grook fixture that represents one of the highlights of Sir Doug Nicholls round.

Carlton captain Patrick Cripps, who required treatment for a finger injury in the second quarter, threatened to drag his team to victory.

Cripps finished with 27 possessions (18 contested), six tackles, six clearances and three goals but was unable to halt the the hosts' bursts of dominance.

The final quarter was a prime example, as was an opening term that Carlton largely controlled.

The Blues shot out to an early lead of 18 points, thanks partly to Betts' wizardry in the pocket, but Sydney replied with four goals in eight minutes to conjure a six-point lead at quarter-time.

Buddy's quality beats Harry's quantity
Throughout his career superstar forward Lance Franklin has been able to have more shots on goal than most, peaking with a remarkable 201 scoring shots in 2008. He won’t return to those sorts of numbers again, but the 34-year-old is now making the most of his opportunities, and kicked three goals straight against the Blues to make it 22.6 for the season. At the other end, Harry McKay was imposing in the air but failed to have the same impact on the scoreboard, kicking 3.5 when straighter shooting could’ve kept the Blues in the game.

SYDNEY      5.3    8.4    11.6    15.10 (100)
CARLTON   4.3    8.5    10.7    11.12 (78)

GOALS
Sydney: Heeney 3, Franklin 3, Papley 3, Hayward 2, Kennedy 2, Parker, Wicks
Carlton: McKay 3, Cripps 3, Betts 2, Silvagni, Williams, De Koning

INJURIES
Sydney: Nil
Carlton: Gibbons (hamstring)

SUBSTITUTES
Sydney: Taylor
Carlton: Murphy (replaced Gibbons)

Crowd: 29,882 at the SCG