Sydney will play in the AFL Grand Final for the second time in three seasons after dominating Port Adelaide by 36 points at the SCG on Friday night.
The Swans will face the winner of the second preliminary final between Geelong -- who Sydney lost to in the 2022 decider -- and last year's runner-up, Brisbane.
Here's three things we learned from the game:
These Swans are mentally tough, and mental toughness wins finals
You cannot underestimate the pressure that was on Sydney this week. The minor premier was at home and significant favourites to advance to the Grand Final, but standing in their way was the team that had humiliated them by 112 points just six weeks prior. That horrid performance had to have left some scars, right?
Add in the fact Port Adelaide had won the last eight clashes between the two sides dating back to 2017 and you got the impression this preliminary final was more of a mental game for Sydney -- the more rested, and, frankly, more talented team -- than anything.
The Swans passed that test with flying colours, setting the tone early and ensuring there would be no repeat of Round 21, when Port raced out to a remarkable 71-0 lead. On that night, the Swans were smashed in just about every statistical category, finishing -95 in disposals, -35 in inside 50s, -10 in clearance, -27 in contested possession, -81 in uncontested possession, and -57 in marks.
On Friday night, Sydney reversed what was the most shocking result of season 2024. They didn't just take away the Power's uncontested marks which quelled their attacks, they adopted that style of play. If the Swans weren't attacking with pinpoint kick-mark, kick-mark, they were running rampant through the corridor on turnover and delivering expertly inside forward 50.
They didn't need to win the clearance count to dominate the game and put the result beyond doubt at the final change. By fulltime, the Swans were +75 in disposals, +64 in uncontested possession, and +61 marks, proving that August night at Adelaide Oval was just a speedbump on the way to a seventh Grand Final appearance in 20 years.
Ken Hinkley may have coached his last game at Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley cut a dejected figure on the boundary line of the SCG as the fulltime siren sounded to end his side's season and cap a sixth loss from his past eight finals at the helm, the last five of which by an average margin of 53 points.
Hinkley, who is contracted until the end of 2025, had confirmed last week his job security was safe, declaring "I'm contracted ... that is what the board have told me all the way through. They have shown me great support the entire journey. I get why the conversation keeps coming up, but the reality is I'm preparing this week to help our team."
But after another Power season that had begun with so much hope and expectation fizzled out in September in unceremonious fashion, whether fair or not, Hinkley is now, if not on the chopping block, sitting close by. The club continues to fall short of the Grand Final berth its loyal fanbase desperately craves.
Would it be fair for Hinkley to be moved on? No, it probably wouldn't! There's an argument to be made he's overachieved with the playing group he's had at his disposal, guiding this list to the top four in four of the last five seasons. He boasts a resume that's the envy of most coaches in the league, having amassed a club record 274 games for 165 wins at a rate of 60.34%. However, that number dips to 40% in finals. Hinkley also holds the unwanted record for most games coached (260) without ever reaching a Grand Final.
Port's powerbrokers will likely stand behind him in the aftermath of his latest tough preliminary final loss, but you're kidding yourself if you believe discussions won't be had behind closed doors this offseason. Whether anything comes to pass, we'll have to wait and see.
Sydney's star midfield trio was built for September
Isaac Heeney. Chad Warner. Errol Gulden. If you were to rank every player in the competition, there's every chance these three star Swans all feature in the top dozen.
The individual seasons of each have been breathtaking, the collective production otherworldly. Heeney, Warner, and Gulden have combined for 76 disposals, 30 contested possessions, 14 clearances, 17 inside 50s, and three-and-a-half goals per game, unquestionably cementing themselves as the best trio in the competition and one of the most prolific of the modern era.
ESPN's Brownlow Medal predictor has them combining for a staggering 71.5 votes this season, which would be the most ever by three players from the same team. The predictor also has one of them tipped to poll maximum votes in 15 of their 23 games.
On Friday night, the damaging trio proved their home and away dominance can carry over into September, putting on a clinic to book Sydney's spot in the Big Dance.
Heeney, who played one of the greatest AFL finals against the Giants two weeks ago, might have been best on ground once again. The two-time All-Australian tallied another 24 disposals, a game-high eight score involvements, six clearances, six tackles, two contested marks, and two goals.
Gulden finished the night with more disposals than anyone on the ground. He also had seven inside 50s and almost 600 metres gained. And then there's Warner. Another game with 20 disposals and two goals. It's the 11th time he's managed the feat this season, tied with, you guess it, Heeney, for the most in the competition.
If the Swans win the premiership next Saturday, you'd be stunned if one of these three didn't win the Norm Smith Medal.