The Sydney Swans have continued their strong run towards the finals with a 17-point victory over St Kilda at Telstra Stadium on Saturday night.

A dominant fourth-quarter performance saw the Swans limit the Saints to a single goal and in the process move into fifth position on the AFL ladder.

Jarrad McVeigh bagged a career-high three goals for the home-side while Craig Bolton and Amon Buchanan were also among the Swans best.

For the Saints Luke Ball and Leigh Montagna led the way but the loss leaves them outside the eight with Fremantle, West Coast and Richmond awaiting on the run home to the finals.

A goal from Nick Davis from outside 50 after the siren proved telling as the Swans headed into the final term with a four-point lead and the wind in their sails.

The Swans led by as many as 10-points early in the final term but the Saints would not lay down.

McVeigh's third major gave the Swans their biggest lead of the match - 11-points midway point of final term before goals to Schmidt and Malceski sealed the victory in front of over sixty-three thousand fans.

The Saints had the better of a frenetic opening term with Fraser Gehrig opening his account inside the first minute - one of his two goals for the term, while Riewoldt also majored in the dying seconds for the Saints.

McVeigh kicked both of the Swans first-term-majors in the early stages but the home side struggled to find its rhythm for much of the quarter to trail by eight points at the first break.

Both sides traded goals in the second quarter with the Swans able to gain some ascendancy late in the term as the game developed into a dour struggle with both sides locked at 5.5 (35) at the long break.

The dogfight continued in the third term before a stunning O'Loughlin goal gave the Swans their first lead of the match - albeit short-lived with the Saints hitting back immediately through Stephen Milne.

In the end the Swans had to much run for the visitors and look to be building momentum for another run come September.

SYDNEY: 2.2,5.5, 9.7, 12,10 (82)
ST KILDA: 3.4,5.5, 8.9, 9,11 (65)

GOALS: Sydney: McVeigh 3, Schneider, Fosdike, Everitt, Ablett, O'Loughlin, Mathews, Davis, Schmidt, Malceske
St Kilda Gehrig 2,Riewoldt 2, Milne, Attard, Dal Santo, Clarke, Hayes
BEST: Sydney: C.Bolton, Buchanan, Malceske,J. Bolton, McVeigh
St Kilda: Ball, Montagna, Dal Santo, Milne, Koschitzke
INJURIES: Sydney: Nil
St Kilda: Nil
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Leo Barry (hamstring)and Lewis Roberts-Thomson (glute strain)replaced in the Swans selected side by Luke Brennan and Tim Schmidt.
UMPIRES: Donlon, McLaren, McInerney
CROWD: 63,369 at Telstra Stadium