THE SYDNEY Swans' premiership dream is still alive after they won a bruising elimination final by 25 points over St Kilda at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
The Swans withstood a brave third quarter fightback from last year's beaten grand finalist, drawing away in the final term to win 12.10 (82) to 8.9 (57).
They will now lock horns with Hawthorn in the second semi-final at the MCG on Friday night, while St Kilda's season is over.
Saints' coach Ross Lyon lamented a second-quarter performance from his team that he branded "unrecognisable". The Swans ground out a 26-point lead during the pivotal term on the back of the tireless work of Adam Goodes, Ryan O'Keefe and Jarrad McVeigh.
Nick Riewoldt finished with 16 touches and a goal, but appeared to struggle with a knee injury after going to ground heavily in a marking contest with Ted Richards in the first quarter.
The loss is a bitter end to a difficult year for the Saints, who appeared destined to watch the 2011 finals from the sidelines with one win and a draw from their first eight games, but fought through adversity to claim a home final.
The Swans' progression to the second week of the finals is a wonderful effort given they were rocked by the retirements of bookend players Daniel Bradshaw and Craig Bolton early in John Longmire's first year in charge.
Influential players
The Swans were brilliantly led by co-captains McVeigh and Goodes, who finished with 26 and 25 possessions respectively, with O'Keefe booting four goals.
The ruck duel between Shane Mumford and Ben McEvoy was an enthralling one, but Mumford carried the day with 33 hit-outs and two goals.
Stats that matter
The Swans led the competition in average contested possessions during the home and away season and St Kilda was last in the same category, but it was the Saints who won the hard ball early.
But by half-time the Swans had turned a nine-possession, quarter-time deficit into a six-disposal advantage as they cracked in hard at the stoppages to build the 26-point lead that set up the win.
Costly Kosi
Justin Koschitzke gifted O'Keefe a goal inside the last minute of the second quarter. The Saints' forward wasn't paying attention when he trotted onto the field and he stepped outside the yellow interchange line, which drew a free kick and a 50m penalty.
What it means
The Swans have lost none of the grit and determination that made them such a feared finals opponent during the Paul Roos era under John Longmire. In a year that was widely thought to have seen them drop out of finals contention, the Swans are up and about in September once again.
What the coach said
John Longmire (Sydney Swans): "I thought we took our chances, particularly in the second quarter, and maybe even a bit in the first quarter. We weren't great at the start of the game, and in the second quarter we started to get better at our contested footy."
QUARTER BY QUARTER
FIRST QUARTER
Few walked into Etihad Stadium expecting a free-flowing, end-to-end contest, and that belief was vindicated when the first goal of the game was kicked by Saint Stephen Milne 16 minutes into the opening quarter. The Swans struck back, with Adam Goodes setting up teammate Shane Mumford for a goal before the Swans' co-captain kicked a goal himself from point-blank range to give his side the lead. Both teams had other opportunities but were wasteful. In one of the key match-ups, Ted Richards had six disposals for the quarter and beat Saints champion (and St Kilda's focal point in attack) Nick Riewoldt in the air.
St Kilda 1.3 (9) Sydney Swans 2.4 (16)
SECOND QUARTER
The game broke open in the second term, but it was all in the Swans' advantage. John Longmire's side kicked five goals to two to hold a valuable 26-point buffer at the main change. While Gary Rohan's pace was electric up the field, it was Ryan O'Keefe who was most damaging, with the classy forward booting three goals for the term. His third major - perhaps the most vital kick of the game to that stage - came as a result of an interchange free kick against St Kilda's Justin Koschitzke, who entered the ground outside the designated area. With St Kilda's main game-breaker Brendon Goddard struggling to have an influence on the game, the Swans' advantage was significant heading into the second half.
St Kilda 3.4 (22) Sydney Swans 7.6 (48)
THIRD QUARTER
Former West Coast Eagle Matt Spangher kicked the opening goal of the third quarter to extend the Swans' lead to 32 points, but it sparked the Saints into action. Around the ground the Saints began to win more contests, Sam Gilbert moved into the middle of the ground, and, all of a sudden, they appeared to be much more dangerous near goal. St Kilda capitalised by kicking three consecutive goals to get back within 16 points. As the intensity of the game lifted, so too did the Saints' stars, with Goddard at the forefront. When the talented 26-year-old converted a set-shot late in the term, he had put the Saints within nine points and with all the momentum heading into the final quarter.
St Kilda 7.7 (49) Sydney Swans 8.9 (57)
FOURTH QUARTER
Despite St Kilda entering the final quarter seemingly with all the run, it was the Swans were who were able to control proceedings. The Saints threatened to score but were unable to take their chances, and the Swans made them pay. Small forward Ben McGlynn kicked the important first goal of the quarter, and 12 minutes later O'Keefe capped an impressive night when he was rewarded with a free kick after Nick Dal Santo was adjudged holding the ball. O'Keefe, from outside 50, went back and kicked the goal, sealing the Swans' first finals win in Melbourne since their historic 2005 Grand Final win over West Coast.
St Kilda 1.3 3.4 7.7 8.9 (57)
Sydney Swans 2.4 7.6 8.9 12.10 (82)
GOALS
St Kilda: Goddard 2, Schneider 2, Dal Santo, Koschitzke, Milne, Riewoldt
Sydney Swans: O'Keefe 4, Goodes 2, McGlynn 2, Mumford 2, Reid, Spangher
BEST
St Kilda: Dal Santo, Jones, Gram, Dempster, Fisher, Montagna, Polo
Sydney Swans: O'Keefe, Goodes, McVeigh, Mumford, Richards, Kennedy, Shaw
INJURIES
St Kilda: Nil
Sydney Swans: Hannebery (shoulder), Rohan (knee)
SUBSTITUTES
St Kilda: David Armitage replaced by Jarryn Geary in the third quarter
Sydney Swans: Daniel Hannebery replaced by Luke Parker in the fourth quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Vozzo, Chamberlain, Mollison
Crowd: 39,205 at Etihad Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club
