It may have taken all season to convince the club’s most celebrated player that they were the real deal, but after Friday night’s performance against Collingwood Bloods Legend Bob Skilton is confident the Swans can go all the way.

Never one to hold back, Skilton told sydneyswans.com.au that he would have called anyone a fool for backing the Swans into the Grand Final at the beginning of the season, but is now more than happy to be proven wrong.

“If you had said to me before the start of the season that we were going to make the Grand Final, I would have said you were a bit of an idiot, but I’ll take it anyway,” Skilton said.

“I kept thinking that we weren’t quite good enough but last Friday night I reckon they were sensational.

“That convinced me, and I didn’t care if it was Hawthorn or Adelaide that were there, and I reckon we can beat whoever we come up against.”

The three-time Brownlow Medallist and captain of the Swans Team of the Century said Friday night’s 26-point win over the Magpies also revitalised some of the Swans most dangerous players.

Skilton said the likes of Adam Goodes, Lewis Jetta and the Swans’ midfield group proved themselves on the big stage at ANZ Stadium last weekend.

“(Hawthorn) has got blokes like Franklin and Rioli who you know can just be explosive and in five minutes can take you apart, but we have got a bit of the same now I reckon,” he said.

“The fact that Goodsey played so well and is really looking back to his best is terrific and even the opposition loves seeing Jetta run down the ground.

“Our group of on-ballers, I thought against Collingwood, that Ryan O’Keefe and Jarrad McVeigh were just sensational.

“I’m biased and I love all of them, but I also think the way Josh Kennedy and Kieren Jack have played right through the year has also just been sensational.”

Skilton added that the Swans result at Monday’s night’s Brownlow Medal count epitomised the team’s season perfectly.

“I just happened to see in one of the papers this morning that we got more votes in the Brownlow than any other club and that is what spread right across the board, and I think that’s terrific,” he said.

“It’s just great - I really do think they have what it takes and we all know what ability they’ve got.”

Despite Skilton’s confidence in the Swans ahead of the competition’s biggest game, the nine-time Swans/South Melbourne Best and Fairest winner warned that overcoming Hawthorn would be a tough task.

He added that he hoped the Swans could go that one step further than they did in the two sides’ most recent encounter in round 22.

“I do happen to have the greatest admiration for Hawthorn,” he said.

“Hawthorn didn’t finish on top of ladder for nothing, but we have beaten them once and we weren’t far off the last time either.

“In many respects you could almost say that Hawthorn is my second side, but for our sake this week I hope they stay my second side.”