There is something about Richmond. Sydney's bogey team has struck again, this time doing so in a most unimaginable way.
Sam Lloyd lived out every young footballer's fantasy, kicking the winning goal after the siren from 50 metres out to continue the yellow and black curse on the Swans.
A game which thrice looked in Sydney's keeping slipped away from them right at the death. Leading by five points with close to half a minute left in the game, the Swans had the ball deep in the forward half only for the Tigers to spirit the ball, with the aid of a fortuitous bounce in the middle, to the other end of the ground where it landed in Lloyd's arms.
The Swans have now lost their last three games against the Tigers. As heartbreaking as this loss will be for the Swans, it was a defeat which was weeks in the making.
They fell over the line against Brisbane, took a half to get going against a depleted Essendon and for much of this game were outplayed by a team that has been one of the underachievers of 2016.
As has been a trend in their defeats to Richmond, the Swans were against beaten for contested ball - the absence of Josh Kennedy proving very costly.
Not even Lance Franklin's five goals or an inspirational 33-possession effort from Hannebery could mask the Swans' deficiencies.
Their defence, normally so reliable, was not shielded sufficiently by their midfield and cut open on numerous occasions - most decisively in the closing seconds.
Ben Griffiths proved Richmond's unlikely hero, kicking five goals, while Brett Deledio rivalled him for best-on-ground honours with 34 disposals.
Sydney could not have hoped for a better start. Eight minutes in and they were already up by three goals, two of them coming from the boot of Franklin.
Their ball movement was clean and their pressure up. As a result, the Tigers could not find clear air. Their possessions were rushed, sometimes not finding their target at all. When they did the ball pinged from wing to wing instead of end to end, to the groans of their own supporters.
A yellow and black bloodbath loomed but the Tigers' poor play proved contagious. Soon it was the Swans who appeared everything but a premiership contender.
The Tigers stemmed the bleeding, due largely to Brett Deledio and Jack Riewoldt, then landed some blows of their own.
The second quarter was not pretty, particularly for the Swans or those who appreciate daring play. The Swans love a war of attrition but there can be no battle if the enemy does not engage. For the Tigers it was more substance than style.
Sydney's inability to get their hands on the ball - they lost the contested possession count 23-36 in the second quarter - or apply their trademark pressure allowed the Tigers to dictate proceedings, but instead of taking the game on Damien Hardwick's men resorted to keepings off.
It was labour intensive but it starved the Swans' forwards. Averaging 65 inside 50 entries a game, the Swans, who operate on volume rather than efficiency, were held to just 19. The payoff did not come until time added on when Ben Griffiths kicked two in a hurry to give the Tigers a slender lead at half time.
If half time was to serve as a wake up call for the Swans, then it took them some time to rouse. The Tigers dominated the opening minutes of the third quarter and should have put their opponents to the sword.
Had it been last year perhaps they might have but they kept frittering away relatively simple shots at goal. And it was their senior players, like Deledio and Dustin Martin, who were wasteful.
The match then took another turn. The Swans, willed on by the tireless Dan Hannebery, lifted their intensity in the middle.
This enabled Franklin to stamp his mark on the game. Although Alex Rance won some key one-on-one contests, Franklin booted two big goals from long range. That youngsters like Jake Lloyd and George Hewett were also able to keep cool under pressure was another reason to believe the Swans had finally shaken off their less fancied rival.Â
Three-goal leads are not big in modern football but it should have lasted longer than it did. In fact it was gone within five minutes of the last term. Three minutes later and it had turned into a 12-point deficit.
The Swans responded with goals to Hannebery, Tom Papley and Kurt Tippett. It should have been enough, but wasn't.
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