The champion Swan finished with a game-high four goals, while his midfield teammates dominated their Bomber counterparts.
Josh Kennedy, Jarrad McVeigh and Craig Bird were all influential, while Heath Grundy stood tall in defence and debutant Tom Mitchell excelled when he was subbed in for Tommy Walsh.
Walsh sustained a nasty looking leg injury in the second term, while Essendon's Courtney Dempsey was taken from the field on a stretcher after Nick Smith crashed into his back.
The Bombers were a step short for most of the evening, with Brent Stanton (36possessions, seven clearances) their most damaging player and Stewart Crameri,Brendon Goddard and Jake Carlisle kicking two goals apiece.
"I thought we played well for patches of the game, we just couldn'tprobably go with Sydney for the whole game," Bombers coach James Hirdsaid.
"We had a lot of inside 50s, but the quality of our entries wasn't as goodas the Swans.
"They are a terrific team."
The Swans, who are currently missing Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Rhyce Shaw, AlexJohnson, Sam Reid and Marty Mattner and can still boast seven wins and a drawfrom their opening 10 games.
Essendon meanwhile, has now lost three of its past four games to drop out ofthe top four for the first time this season.
After such a difficult period, every time Goodes became involved in the play itwas met with thunderous applause by his adoring home crowd.
Held to just two touches in the first quarter, he set the SCG alight with sometrademark moments of magic late in the second.
Firstly the 33-yer-old galloped more than 70 metres across the ground to corralMichael Hibberd – 10 years his junior – and bundle him over the boundary line.
Mitchell then sent the ball inside 50 for Goodes to outmark Carlisle and hisset shot sailed through just before halftime to give the Swans a three-goalbuffer at the main break.
While he seemed to put his troubles behind him when he took to the field,teammate Jarrad McVeigh made the admission after the game that Goodes' recenttroubles will stay with him forever.
"We didn't talk as a group, but it was tough to see him go throughthat," McVeigh said.
"From here on in we'll all forget about it, but it'll still be with him,so we'll have to continue to support Goodesy throughout the rest of his career.
"We know we've got a long way to go to stamping this (racism) out, soGoodesy will always be thinking of it, so we'll always have to supporthim."
ESSENDON 1.4 3.7 7.9 10.11 (71)
GOALS
Sydney Swans: Goodes 4, Malceski 2, Parker, O'Keefe, Mumford, Mitchell, McGlynn, Kennedy, Jetta, Jack, Everitt, Bird, Pyke
Essendon: Goddard, Crameri, Carlisle 2, Winderlich, Melksham, Hibberd, Bellchambers
BEST
Sydney Swans: Kennedy, Grundy, Goodes, Bird, McVeigh, Jack
Essendon: Stanton, Goddard, Heppell, Zaharakis, Watson, Winderlich
INJURIES
Sydney Swans: Walsh (leg)
Essendon: Dempsey (tbc), Howlett replaced in the selected side by Hams
SUBSTITUTES
Sydney Swans: Tommy Walsh replaced by Tom Mitchell in the second quarter.
Essendon: Scott Gumbleton replaced by William Hams at half time.
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Donlon, Dalgleish, Rosebury
