Rohan calms the nerves
Fairly or unfairly, Gary Rohan has a reputation for not playing well in finals. He was poor against Greater Western Sydney last week but had the fans at the SCG pumped up when he booted the first goal of the game.
Five things we learned: Sydney Swans v Adelaide
McGlynn with a beauty
Ben McGlynn has suffered hard luck over his career, with a hamstring injury keeping him out of the 2012 premiership. The former Hawk was determined to not miss out on another flag, with this goal from close to the boundary line absolute class.
Captain of the year kicks a captain's goal
The players voted Taylor Walker the best captain in the competition on Tuesday night, and he reaffirmed his reputation as being a great leader when he kicked the Crows' opener from the centre square.
Even the umpires weren't immune from the big hits
Big hits were being dished out all over the field, and the goal umpire copped a big one here from Rory Atkins. Credit to the official though – he was straight back up and didn't delay in signaling the behind.
How the fans saw the Swans' semi-final win
McVeigh reaches for the ball
Jarrad McVeigh was one of many Swans contributors before a calf injury saw him limping from the ground just before half-time. He returned to play for a short time in the third quarter but was eventually forced out of the match.
WATCH: Top five plays from Syd v Adel
Matt Crouch lines up for goal
In a contest where the players often showed brutal intensity, Matt Crouch was right at home. He finished the night with 34 disposals – the most for Adelaide. Most importantly, he was one of the few Crows who stood up early when the Swans had a hot start.
Hannebery competes with Mackay
There was no room for shrinking violets in this one and that suited Dan Hannebery just fine. His willingness to win the ball on the inside and run hard on the outside was crucial in allowing the Swans to advance to a preliminary final.
Lever leaves the ground
It was a tough night for Adelaide defenders. Daniel Talia was hampered by a leg complaint and wasn't able to run at full tilt, while a corkie to Jake Lever forced him off the ground. He didn't return for the second half.
Cameron slips, as do the Crows' hopes
Here Charlie Cameron slips after being chased by Josh Kennedy, but the Crow was a bright spot for Adelaide. His speed made him dangerous all night and a spoil deep in defence while running back with the flight showed his commitment to the ball.
Not again, Gary
A horrific ankle break in 2012 saw Gary Rohan miss 15 months of footy, as well as a premiership. Here he lay on the ground, perhaps aware that a knee injury could perhaps consign him to missing out on another flag.
Buddy steadies the ship
Adelaide had been pressing but Lance Franklin put a stop to that. It wasn't a dominant game from Franklin but it didn't need to be. He kicked four goals and was a physical presence all night.
Happy Papley
Tom Papley was pleased with himself after this goal and rightly so. The small forward put in a terrific performance and finished with four goals. Drafted as a rookie last year, he has proved better than nuisance value all season and was again hard to stop on Saturday night.
No repeat performance for Betts
Eddie Betts was electric last week against North Melbourne but there was no second dose of that effort versus the Swans. Nick Smith had the job on the small forward and while Betts kicked three goals, he struggled to make an impact while the game was alive.
Parker and Jack lead the way
Leading the Swans off the ground were Kieren Jack and Luke Parker. Deservedly so, with both putting in hard-nosed efforts to ensure the Swans did not fall away as they did in their qualifying final versus the Giants.
Well done, Luke
Lance Franklin congratulates his buddy Luke Parker on a job well done. Isaac Heeney (background) was great himself. There was no shortage of contributors for the Swans on the night.
