AFL Round 21: Sydney Swans defeat Greater Western Sydney | photos, video

His critics say he is overpaid and should be offered as trade bait - but right now Kurt Tippett is looming as Sydney's biggest forward weapon heading into the finals.

Greater Western Sydney's season is over but there is still plenty of life left in the Swans. It was supposed to be the most keenly fought of the eight Sydney derbies but what eventuated was another comfortable victory for the red and white part of town, this time by a whopping 89 points.

The Giants, in front of a venue-record crowd of 19,507 fans, had good reason to fancy their chances - the Swans have been out of sorts, were without several key players - but instead they felt the wrath of Tippett.

The one-time glamour boy has become one of the most maligned players in the competition but if Tippett can reproduce games such as this more regularly he will not stay an ugly duckling for much longer.

With Lance Franklin out of action, the Swans needed a hero and Tippett answered the call. His five goals, three of which set the tone for the game in the first term, and eight marks were the major talking point from a day in which the Swans returned into the top four.

They will see out the weekend in fourth unless the Western Bulldogs upset West Coast in Perth on Sunday.

The Swans lured Tippett from Adelaide to play as a forward but it's as a forward/ruck - the role in which he played his best footy as a Crow - where he has thrived.

Along with an on-song Sam Reid, he gave the Swans the type of potency which has been missing for much of the past two months.

Reid kicked just the one goal but with 10 marks, four of which were contested, was enough of a threat to prevent the Giants' defence from double teaming Tippett.

The pair's strong form was just the tonic for a Swans' forward line missing Franklin, Gary Rohan and Ben McGlynn. If the trio can return in time for the finals the Swans could yet prove a threat in September.

They may have also unearthed another find, or at least a cult hero, in debutant James Rose, who kicked three goals after being subbed on at three-quarter time.

The Swans outmuscled the Giants, comfortably winning the clearance count 47-33, and after halftime outran their younger opponents. Josh Kennedy, with 35 possessions and two goals, pipped Tippett for the Brett Kirk Medal while Jarrad McVeigh was also influential.

The Giants, though four goals down, were still in the contest at halftime but wilted in the heat in the second half, outscored three goals to 13. They are now out of the finals hunt but with 10 wins have already met their pre-season expectations.

If the Giants were to win they needed to start well and win it out of the middle - they did neither. They had more of the ball but life is harder when attacks are launched from defence rather than the middle. The Swans were also cleaner but it took until time on for them to kick clear.

Tippett was proving a handful for the Giants, be it one on one in the goal square against Aidan Corr or in the ruck for Andrew Phillips, from whom he streamed clear for a 60-metre goal from a centre bounce.

Sydney could have had the game all but won early in the second term but misses by Harry Cunningham, McVeigh and Kennedy, twice, all from gettable shots left the door ajar.

The margin was four goals at half time but by no means were the Swans in control of the game. Their key ball-winner in the midfield, aside from Kennedy and McVeigh, were not having a major impact and shaded by the Giants, who were being let down by their entries inside 50.

The Swans' skills were only marginally better but while Jeremy Cameron and Jonathan Patton were unable to make an impact for the Giants in contrast Reid and Tippett were red hot.

If the Giants had improved their ball use after half time they would have been right in the game but despite having their season on the line they found nothing.