Sydney is just hanging on to an AFL top eight berth, but coach Paul Roos feels like they are on the bottom after giving up a big lead to lose to Richmond at the MCG on Sunday.

The Swans led by 33 points entering time-on in the third term but Richmond kicked eight of the last 10 goals to win 14.5 (89) to 12.13 (85).

Tigers star forward Jack Riewoldt kicked five goals, to take him to 53 for the season, five clear of Western Bulldog Barry Hall in the Coleman Medal race.

Youngster Andrew Collins snared three, including the last two of the game minutes after being knocked out.

It was the Tigers' first win over the Swans in nine meetings and their fourth victory in the past five rounds, lifting them above West Coast and off the bottom for the first time since round one.

But Roos, whose side is percentage clear of ninth-placed North Melbourne, said, on form, the Swans, who have lost six of their past eight matches, belonged in last spot.

"It's no good sugar coating it, if you lose to the team on the bottom that's where you're at, at that particular point in time," Roos said.

"At the moment we're a bottom team, you can't worry about the eight, you are what you are.

"We've got North next week, that's our only focus and it has to be, because we struggled today in the latter half of the game, when the game was there to be won we couldn't win it."

Next Sunday's SCG clash between the Swans and the Kangaroos will be crucial, with both sides on 7-7 records and only the winner to end the round in the eight.

Geelong downed North 14.14 (98) to 9.9 (63) at Skilled Stadium on Sunday to maintain top spot, with first-year forward James Podsiadly continuing his stunning debut season with five goals.

The Kangaroos appear the only side outside the eight with a significant chance of breaking in, given Adelaide, Brisbane, Essendon and Port Adelaide, who occupy the next four spots, are all two games adrift.

Fourteenth-placed Melbourne are a further two points back, after St Kilda kept the pressure on the Cats for the minor premiership with a hard-fought 15.10 (100) to 9.11 (65) win over the Demons at Etihad Stadium.

Geelong will face a huge challenge when they meet surging Hawthorn in what looms as the match of the round at the MCG on Saturday.

The Hawks made it seven wins straight when they downed the Western Bulldogs by three points at the MCG on Friday night.

The Bulldogs and Hawks are both on 8-6 records, as are Carlton, who thrashed slumping Brisbane by 55 points on Thursday night.

Those three clubs are all two wins behind fourth-placed Fremantle, who thumped Port Adelaide by 57 points at Subiaco on Saturday night, but copped numerous injuries, including a broken leg to star midfielder Michael Barlow.

Third-placed Collingwood belted West Coast by 83 points on Saturday night when Adelaide climbed to 10th by downing Essendon by 84 at AAMI Stadium.

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