Sydney sounded the latest in a string of ominous warnings to the AFL competition with an emphatic 46-point win over Geelong at Simonds Stadium.
In a performance reminiscent of last year's preliminary final display, the Swans blitzed the Cats early on their way to a 16.11 (107) to 8.13 (61) win.
John Longmire's men have now won 11 of their past 13 games and look capable of going deep into September after starting the season with six defeats in a row.
They managed Friday night's win without injured skipper Josh Kennedy and with star forward Lance Franklin held to just one goal by Tom Lonergan.
"Right across the board we had a lot of players who contributed at a good level," Longmire said.
"There were no real absolute standouts.
"So it was a very even performance but clearly that first quarter was important."
Longmire's men set the tone early.
The Cats had won 15 of their past 16 games at their home ground going into the clash, with the Swans beating them last year.
But the visitors made themselves right at home, kicking five goals in a row to help set up a 32-point lead at the first break.
The margin stretched to 37 points midway through the second term before Geelong mustered a fightback with three straight goals.
But Sydney regrouped at halftime and were able to keep the Cats at arm's length in the third quarter before finishing strongly.
The Swans host Fremantle next Saturday.
Kennedy will need a strong week on the track to press his claims for a return from a hamstring injury.
"He's definitely not ruled out, which is a good thing," Longmire said.
"He ran on Wednesday at training so we're hopeful of getting him back but we're not sure until we see what he does during the week at training."
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