Sydney maintained their unbeaten home record and kept themselves in the finals race, scraping home in yet another AFL thriller against old rivals West Coast at ANZ Stadium.

The Eagles got their noses in front for the first time in the match with a Scott Selwood goal 20 minutes into the final term, but Kieren Jack answered with a goal with just over two minutes remaining to give the Swans a nail-biting 16.10 (106) to 15.11 (101) victory.

In his first game against the Eagles since his infamous punch on defender Brent Staker last year, Barry Hall answered his critics with five goals to show there is still some fight left in his ageing legs.

Adam Goodes and Jude Bolton were also outstanding for the home side, while Ryan O'Keefe had his best game of the season after a sub-par start to the year.

Dean Cox and Andrew Embley excelled for West Coast as Ben McKinley kicked four goals and Josh Kennedy three.

The Swans threatened to pull away a number of times but the two great rivals traditionally enjoy tight encounters and this one followed the script.

Both sides are in the process of trying to rebuild their lists after consecutive grand final appearances in 2005 and 2006.

But Sydney's core group is still intact and the victory keeps them well in the hunt for September at 4-4 for the season, while the Eagles have slipped to 3-5.

Sydney have now won six of their past eight clashes at their second home at Homebush Bay.

The Swans got off to a flying start against a flat West Coast outfit who struggled to get their hands on the ball in the first term.

Sydney had three goals on the board inside the opening 12 minutes as they tried to stamp their authority on the game.

But West Coast gradually settled and two late goals meant they trailed by just one straight kick at the first change.

Sydney led by 19 points at the last change, but the Eagles finished full of running and kicked four goals to two in the final term and appeared likely winners.

Jack's late heroics, however, gave the Swans the priceless four points.

It was the eighth time in the past ten meetings between the teams that a match was decided by less than one goal.

Hall had come in for some stinging criticism after a goalless effort in last week's heavy loss to Geelong, so Swans coach Paul Roos was happy for his spearhead on Saturday night.

"Geelong are a super side and they belted the Kangas today and belted us last week," he said.

"(Cats defender) Matty Scarlett's a super player but even he would say after halftime there was hardly any one-on-one contests between them, our ball use was pretty ordinary.

"But Hally's ability to get his hands on the footy and convert at really important times for us was excellent tonight."

Roos was also left scratching his head at yet another close game.

"It's extraordinary. I don't know how to explain it. It's just one of those things that's happened between the two sides and has happened so regularly over the last six years," he said.

"They were fantastic tonight the Eagles. We got out to a couple of gaps and they fought their way back, got in front in the last quarter.

"Credit to them and obviously credit to our guys getting over the line in the end."

Jack was also thrilled after kicking the winning goal that squared Sydney's record.

"It's unbelievable. I think we got away with it in the end," he said.

"If we had gone 3-5 it really would've been a bad start to the season.

"We're 4-4 now, we move on and hopefully step forward."

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