SYDNEY has locked in its first minor premiership since 2016 and fired a warning shot across the competition on the eve of the finals with a resounding 31-point victory over Adelaide at the SCG.
The Swans were already all but certain to finish the season on top of the ladder and took the opportunity to rest key players from the side that faced the Crows, but still had enough firepower to finetune with an 18.13 (121) to 13.12 (90) triumph on Saturday night.
SWANS v CROWS Full match coverage and stats
The ladder leaders will start their finals campaign with three consecutive wins behind them, after bouncing back from a late-season slump that had left the Swans looking shaky in five defeats from six matches.
The Swans will now host either Geelong or arch-rivals Greater Western Sydney in a home qualifying final in two weeks' time.
Former co-captain Luke Parker continued his resurgence with 19 disposals and three early goals to put to bed any doubts about his critical role in the side, with the 31-year-old set to play in the 11th finals series of his career.
Errol Gulden was electric when the match was on the line and the tireless midfielder finished with 24 disposals and two goals even as the Crows tried to clamp down on his impact through the second half.
In ominous signs for their top-eight opponents, Swans skipper Callum Mills took a huge leap towards returning to his top form with 27 composed and classy touches while settling into defence.
Nick Blakey (32 disposals, two goals) and Matt Roberts (31) added run out of the back half as the Swans polished up their ball movement, while key forwards Logan McDonald, Joel Amartey and Hayden McLean loom as a threat as they combined for six goals.
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The Crows put up little resistance after a burst of five majors late in the opening term, but once the Swans put the foot down the gap to the top was clearly exposed.
Captain Jordan Dawson gathered 25 disposals and booted a goal against his former side, while Ben Keays (21, one), Matt Crouch (28) and Jake Soligo (25) also battled hard.
Key forward Riley Thilthorpe gave the Crows a glimmer of hope for next season with strong marking inside 50 and finished with three goals.
It was a free-flowing contest from the early exchanges with the Swans having one eye on the finals and the Crows playing purely for pride with a 15th-place finish already assured.
With the pressure valve released the two sides combined for 13 majors in the opening term as the Swans hung on to a narrow lead, but only the hosts were able to continue with the flurry of goals.
The Swans piled on another six goals to the Crows' one in the second term to hold a 37-point advantage at half-time as concern turned to getting through the rest of the match unscathed.
Precautions were taken before the opening bounce with a late change to rest Isaac Heeney, but the Swans minimised any further risks with Dane Rampe subbed out at the last change while Chad Warner and Gulden also finished the game on the bench.
Swans' glaring issue lingers even after fast start
Sydney had little to play for beyond finetuning ahead of a finals campaign with the minor premiership all but certain and a pair of home finals already locked away. But one ongoing concern that grew into a glaring issue during their late-season form slump was allowed to linger even after the Swans piled on six goals to one to start the opening term. The ladder leaders then took the foot off the pedal as the Crows booted five of the next six majors, and while the Swans hung on to lead at the first change for just the second time in nine matches they missed an opportunity to put worries over their slow starts to bed.
Riley will have licence to thrill the Crows in 2025
Adelaide had high hopes of continuing its progress under coach Matthew Nicks to claim a first finals berth since 2017 but in hindsight was up against it as soon as Riley Thilthorpe went down in the pre-season with a knee injury. The 22-year-old looked ready to explode in his fourth season and since his return from the long-term absence has given the Crows a firm reminder of what they were missing with 15 goals in seven matches. The 201cm forward took four marks inside 50 and booted 2.2 in the opening term against the Swans, before going on to finish with three majors and giving a clear indication that he will be a key to the Crows' hopes of rising higher next year.
Key backs join the party as Swans turn defence into attack
The Swans faced little resistance as the Crows put the cue in the rack with even their key defenders booting majors among their 11 goalkickers. Dane Rampe helped get the ball rolling with the second goal of the game just two minutes after the opening bounce, as teammates swamped their former co-captain after he slotted just his eighth major in 248 matches and second since 2016. Lewis Melican joined the party on the cusp of the first change, the 27-year-old booting just the second goal of his 81-match career and his first since his debut season in 2017. Dashing half-back Nick Blakey added to the firepower coming out of defence with two goals in the second half as the Swans piled on the pain.
SYDNEY 7.4 13.6 17.10 18.13 (121)
ADELAIDE 6.3 7.5 9.9 13.12 (90)
GOALS
Sydney: Parker 3, McDonald 3, Gulden 2, Amartey 2, Blakey 2, Warner, Rowbottom, Rampe, Melican, McLean, Florent
Adelaide: Taylor 3, Thilthorpe 3, Walker 2, Nankervis, Keays, Dawson, Curtin, Berry
BEST
Sydney: Gulden, Blakey, Parker, Roberts, Mills, Rowbottom, Warner
Adelaide: Dawson, Keays, Thilthorpe, Crouch, Laird
INJURIES
Sydney: Nil
Adelaide: Nil
LATE CHANGES
Sydney: Isaac Heeney (managed) replaced by Robbie Fox
Adelaide: Nil
SUBSTITUTES
Sydney: Robbie Fox (replaced Dane Rampe in the fourth quarter)
Adelaide: Chayce Jones (replaced Josh Worrell in the third quarter)
Crowd: 36,491 at the SCG
