THE Sydney Swans have warmed up for their elimination final against St Kilda next week with a solid 52-point win over the Brisbane Lions at the SCG on Saturday.
A superb eight-goal second quarter laid the platform for the 18.11 (119) to 9.13 (67) victory as the Swans claimed a third straight win to carry plenty of momentum into the finals.
Gary Rohan has emerged as a real x-factor for the home side in the run-in to September, kicking three goals against the Lions, while Adam Goodes continued his stunning second half of the season with 29 possessions and four goals.
It was a disappointing performance from the young Lions, with James Hawksley leading the way with 27 disposals and Ash McGrath kicking three goals.
The Swans now await the outcome of the Saints' clash with Carlton on Saturday night to learn whether their elimination final will be in Sydney or Melbourne.
The Swans were hindered by the late withdrawals of centre half-forward Sam Reid (calf) and key defender Heath Grundy (virus), with Nick Malceski earning a recall and Lewis Jetta starting as the substitute.
But the late changes didn't affect the Swans, who cantered to victory to end the regular season with 12 wins and a draw from their 22 matches.
The game got off to a very quiet start before Goodes ignited the home side with a big grab in the forward 50 and his second goal to put the Swans in front.
Jude Bolton then kicked his first of four goals to extend the lead to 10 points, but the Lions responded, kicking three straight goals to take a surprise six-point lead into the first break.
It didn't take the Swans long to regain control, however, the home side kicking three goals in the opening 10 minutes of the second quarter to break the game open.
Displaying some of their best football of the season, the Swans kicked eight goals to two in the term, capped by a ripper from Rohan on the boundary line as they took a 31-point lead into the main break.
The Lions improved after half-time, but the Swans were always in control as they warmed up for their eighth finals appearance in nine years.
Influential players
Gary Rohan missed 15 straight games from round four onwards with knee and hamstring injuries, but the gifted 20-year-old has returned at just the right time. He starred in last week's memorable win over Geelong and was even better on Saturday. Adam Goodes (four goals), Jude Bolton (four) and Matt Spangher (three) also contributed up front.
Brisbane ruckman Matthew Leuenberger shaded his duel with Shane Mumford, but few Lions had an influence on the contest.
What it means
The Swans will carry some good form into the finals, having overcome St Kilda, Geelong and the Lions over the last three weeks.
Brisbane will be fairly pleased a season that yielded just four wins has come to a close, although the Lions showed enough in 2011 to suggest there are better times ahead for coach Michael Voss' side.
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Sydney Swans: Four goals - all before half time - 29 possessions and six marks earned Adam Goodes 133 points, the home side's best.
Brisbane Lions: Tom Rockliff was the visitors' top earner with 119 points on the back of 23 possessions - 13 kicks and 10 handballs - and a game-high 14 tackles.
Next week
Sydney Swans: The Swans await the result of Carlton v St Kilda later on Saturday to determine the venue of their elimination final against the Saints in seven days.
Brisbane Lions: The Lions' season is over, with the club finishing in 15th spot with four wins and 18 losses. It's beer time.
Quarter by Quarter
First quarter
The home side led by 10 points early on thanks to two goals and a spectacular mark to Adam Goodes, who started the match in the forward line and faced two opponents early on - Andrew Raines at the start of the game, before Matt Maguire was moved onto the dual Brownlow medallist shortly after the opening bounce. But it was Brisbane Lions that took the quarter-time honours on the back of three straight goals, including a clever right foot set shot from James Hawksley deep in the forward pocket.
Second quarter
The Swans shrugged off a sluggish opening term to blow the game open. The Swans kicked eight goals to Brisbane Lions' two, including seven without reply on the way to a 31-point half-time advantage. The offensive onslaught featured two goals to Gary Rohan, including a clever on-the-run snap deep in the forward pocket, an offensive cameo from Jude Bolton that yielded two goals, and two more majors from Adam Goodes. Matthew Spangher also chimed in with a couple of six-pointers.
Third quarter
The visitors stemmed the bleeding in the third term, kicking 3.3 to 3.2 in the quarter to trail by five goals at the last change. The margin narrowed to 26 points midway through the term, but Gary Rohan's third goal of the evening, from 20 metres out and thanks to a wonderful pass from Adam Goodes, cruelled the possibility of a fightback.
Fourth quarter
A goal to Luke Parker for the Sydney Swans in the third minute took the margin out to six goals and the teams essentially played out time for rest of the term, with Parker adding another and Goodes soccering one in from point-blank range. One sour note at the end of the match was a collision between Ryan O'Keefe and former teammate Amon Buchanan, which left O'Keefe clutching his shoulder and headed to the interchange bench.
Match details
Sydney Swans 3.3 11.7 14.9 18.11 (119)
Brisbane Lions 4.3 6.6 9.9 9.13 (67)
GOALS
Sydney Swans: Bolton, Goodes 4, Rohan, Spangher 3, Parker 2, Hannebery, Malceski
Brisbane Lions: McGrath 3, Karnezis 2, Rich, Hawksley, Redden, Cornelius
BEST
Sydney Swans: Bolton, Goodes, Spangher, Rohan, McVeigh, O'Keefe, McGlynn
Brisbane Lions: McGrath, Rich, Leuenberger, Hanley, Karnezis, Hawksley
INJURIES
Sydney Swans: Reid (calf), Grundy (illness) replaced in the selected side by Malceski and Jetta
Brisbane Lions: Banfield (hamstring) replaced in the selected side by Buchanan
SUBSTITUTES
Sydney Swans: Spangher replaced by Jetta in the fourth quarter
Brisbane Lions: Retzlaff replaced by Buchanan in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Margetts, Chamberlain, Meredith
Official crowd: 27,721 at SCG.
