Collingwood's premiership credentials have received a boost with Alan Didak inspiring the Magpies to a 13-point win over Sydney in their AFL match at Telstra Stadium.

Third-placed Collingwood (9-3) restricted Sydney to an embarrassing tally of just two goals in the first half and eventually held out the fast-finishing Swans to win 14.11 (95) to 11.16 (82) before a crowd of 60,307.

The defending premiers hit the front briefly in the third quarter but could not sustain their intensity as Collingwood's Didak led tagger Jared Crouch a merry dance, kicking four goals including two in the last quarter.

Scott Burns with 28 possessions and Rhyce Shaw with 24 touches and a goal were two of Collingwood's main contributors with the pacy trio of Shaw, Didak and Ryan Lonie showing the Swans a clean pair of heels.

The Swans, who were best served by defenders Leo Barry and Craig Bolton, slipped to their second consecutive defeat and remain in sixth place with a 7-5 record.

Challenged by coach Mick Malthouse this week to regain some credibility after succumbing to leading premiership contenders Adelaide (first), West Coast (second) and Melbourne (fifth), the Magpies dominated in the slippery conditions to reassert their flag hopes after their loss before the bye to the Demons.

Collingwood started full of running with Lonie kicking two of his side's four goals for the quarter as the Magpies grabbed an 11-point lead at quarter-time.

The Swans dominated possession during much of the second quarter through midfielder Luke Ablett, who was tagging Nathan Buckley, and hard-working defenders Craig Bolton and co-captain Leo Barry.

But Sydney added only 0.6 for the term to Collingwood's 2.4 to be 21 points behind at halftime, with the Magpies leading 6.7 (43) to 2.10 (22).

Collingwood defender Simon Prestigiacomo held Swans co-captain Barry Hall goal-less in the first half.

But Hall (three goals) broke free to goal twice from set shots in the opening five minutes of the third quarter and another goal from Ryan O'Keefe put the new-look Swans suddenly within three points at the nine-minute mark of the third quarter.

The Swans hit the front for the first time in the match when O'Keefe passed to Hall whose one-handed mark and third goal gave the home side a four-point advantage.

Collingwood steadied by kicking the next five goals to hold a seemingly match-winning 25-point break at three-quarter time.

Michael O'Loughlin kicked his second goal at the start of the last quarter but Collingwood's livewire small forward Didak immediately responded by kicking his third.

Didak added a fourth goal and Leon Davis scored one before Sydney made a late surge with four goals including two by Adam Goodes.

The Swans host Fremantle at the SCG next Saturday night while Collingwood faces Richmond at the MCG.

Malthouse said it was a "fantastic" result given the sprinkling of youth in the side with key players such as Shane Wakelin, Dane Swan, Brodie Holland and Blake Caracella out injured.

"It doesn't prove everything but what it does say is we can fight back and play against the reigning premiers and beat them on their home ground," he said.

Malthouse said the Magpies had gained a lot of confidence already this season after finishing 13th and 15th in the past two years.

"We're under no illusions. We know to come from 15th and now to be third after round 12 is a big step and the sides we've lost to have been very good football sides," he said.

"We still know there is a lot of work to be done."

Swans coach Paul Roos said turnovers had "just killedus".

He described Sydney's second quarter of 0.6 as "horrendous".

"It probably should have been an eight-goals-to-two quarter Swans way and it ended up you lose the quarter," he said.

"We just slaughtered the footy.

"When that happens there is real concern in the coach's box that you are certainly not going to win and that was the case."

Roos lamented the inability of some of his key players to get through training sessions each week because of injury problems, but refused to name them.

"A lot of what you saw out there tonight in terms of turnovers is the result

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