Luke Hodge is a natural footballer, but he's an even more natural finals footballer. The Hawks skipper patrolled the Swans' half-forward as meanly as a guard on the US-Mexican border, and launched counter-attack after counter-attack with his lethal left foot. He cut down tall forward Jesse White before the Swans admitted defeat in the third term and moved Luke Parker onto him. Hodge finished with 25 possessions, eight marks (all uncontested) and five rebound 50s.

Swans young gun Gary Rohan did well just to get back this season from the horrific broken leg he suffered last year. Rohan also made a bright start to the game, getting around Hawk defender Ben Stratton to mark a floating Kieren Jack kick inside forward 50 at the 16-minute mark of the first term. He went back and split the middle, but that unfortunately was essentially the end of his influence on the game. Rohan had just two more possessions for the game – both in the last quarter – and laid four tackles.

After a tight first half, Hawk playmaker Brent Guerra had the ball forward of the centre as all 36 players on the ground were crowded into Hawthorn's half early in the third term. But Guerra's sweet left foot thrives on a challenge, so it was not surprising he found a Hawk on the lead amid all the congestion. What was surprising was that player was Hawks full-back Brian Lake. When Lake went back and kicked truly from 50 metres, the crowd – and his Hawk teammates – went wild. It sparked a run of four Hawks goals in a row that broke the game open.

One vote: Brad Sewell. The Hawks had a decisive victory over the Swans' elite midfield and Sewell was one of the major reasons why. Finished with a team-high 30 possessions and had four tackles.

Two votes: Sam Mitchell. The former Hawks skipper was the most influential midfielder in the game's frantic opening term. His ball use was incisive and clean, his work rate throughout the match outstanding as he had 29 possessions and a decisive victory over last year's Norm Smith medallist Ryan O'Keefe.

Three votes: Luke Hodge. The Hawks' on-field general was impassable across half-back and set up numerous scoring opportunities for his team with his brilliant ball use. 

Dan Hannebery has been one of this season's most poised ball-users, but the young Swan's left foot let him down badly at the 21-minute mark of the second quarter. Locked near the boundary line just outside the Hawks' forward 50, Hannebery gave his usual lace-out delivery but with one problem – it went straight to Hawks spearhead Jarryd Roughead. Roughead passed to a wide-open Jack Gunston 40m out from goal, but Hannebery was spared further embarrassment when the Hawks' 'accurate one' had a rare miss.

Sam Mitchell might boast as many slow-twitch fibres as Usain Bolt has fast-twitch ones, but the former Hawks captain is as at home as anyone in the frenzied pace of finals football. In the first quarter against the Swans, Mitchell was the cleanest player on the ground, especially by hand. The Swans played their best football of the game in that term, but Mitchell ensured the Hawks went into quarter-time one-point up, finishing the term with 10 possessions and four score involvements.