THERE was no Wharfie Time at the SCG on Friday night, but Fremantle still produced an act of late-game magic, storming home from 28 points down to claim a thrilling 12-point win and secure just the second Grand Final appearance in the club's history.

With the Dockers surging home on the back of five unanswered final-quarter goals, Mason Cox, reviving memories of his famous preliminary final heroics in Collingwood colours, clunked a towering mark and coolly slotted the set shot to edge Fremantle in front.

SWANS V DOCKERS Full match details and stats

It completed a remarkable comeback, given the Swans had led by a game-high 28 points midway through the third term.

When these teams met in round 18, Sydney led at half-time by 22 points before eventually losing by 38 - and history repeated itself as the hosts ran out of steam late, falling 10.11 (71) to 12.11 (83) in a severe test of their depth against the minor premiers. 

Compounding their challenge, the Swans were missing five key players - Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, Chad Warner, Riley Bice, and James Jordon - who were suspended following a round 23 breach of club standards, alongside captain Callum Mills, who was sidelined after rupturing his ACL in the qualifying final victory over Brisbane.

Fremantle dominated territory, winning the inside-50 count 67-49 and clearances 44-30. The Dockers ultimately turned the contest with a ferocious final term, where they overwhelmed Sydney in inside-50s (23–6), clearances (12–5) and contested possessions (49–27).

Continuing his outstanding run of form, Logan McDonald starred with a game-high three goals from his 14 disposals. Errol Gulden's trademark run and speed were also on full display, collecting 36 disposals and 766 metres gained.

Meanwhile, Luke Jackson and Brodie Grundy fought to a draw in the ruck with 28 hitouts apiece, though Jackson proved the difference around the ground by slotting two goals. While Sydney managed to restrict most of Fremantle's stars on the scoreboard, Jackson, Isaiah Dudley and Shai Bolton led the way with two goals each. 

Bolton's impact came after coach Justin Longmuir made the masterstroke move to shift him deep into attack to spark a struggling forward line, while Andrew Brayshaw fuelled the engine room with a team-high 29 disposals.

The Dockers flew out of the gates, with an early score coming directly from the opening centre clearance. 

A miskick out on the full by Gulden gifted Neil Erasmus a shot on goal, which he bent through from a tough angle for the opener, before Jackson quickly added a second.

Bursting out of the middle to provide a quick reply, Braeden Campbell slotted Sydney's first major six minutes in to flip the momentum. 

Sydney then piled on the pressure through a Tom Papley snap from a forward-50 stoppage, a sharp set shot from McDonald, and a clever crumb from Tom Hanily. The Swans reeled off the last eight scores of the opening term to take a 16-point lead at quarter-time.

Fremantle had four shots on goal to start the term, but failed to capitalise - including two misses from Jye Amiss. When Sydney countered with speed and direct kicking, McDonald was awarded a free kick for a chop on the arms and converted his second.

The sides traded goals, but Fremantle's poor disposal efficiency inside forward 50 and defensive-half errors proved costly, gifting Sydney free kicks and easy scoring opportunities. Consequently, the Swans dominated intercept marks and scores from turnovers.

In his return from a hamstring injury that had sidelined him since round 13, Justin McInerney slotted a set shot from 50. At the other end, Patrick Voss could not convert a booming kick from outside the arc with his first disposal of the match, allowing Sydney to take a 19-point lead into half-time.

In response, a brilliant gather and goal from Amiss, aided by a contentious non-call, gave the Dockers a flyer to start the third term.

Papley, however, appeared ginger after having his legs taken out while picking up the ball on the run. Unable to get going, he limped off with a right knee concern before having it strapped up and returning to the field. 

Standing tall, Jackson scored his second goal before Angus Sheldrick stopped the rot with a nimble sidestep to set up McDonald's third - a crucial steadying goal for the Swans. 

Playing in his first preliminary final, Charlie Curnow then made it three consecutive majors for Sydney, with each coming from a forward-half intercept.

Sydney applied relentless forward-half pressure, dominating tackles and intercepts inside 50 to generate scoring chains and build a 28-point lead midway through the third term.

An excellent set-shot goal after the siren from Hayden Young trimmed the margin, although the Swans still held a 21-point lead at the last change.

However, early in the fourth, consecutive goals from Bolton and Voss, the latter coming after a powerful fend-off, cut the deficit to just nine points as the Swans began to look tired.

As the intensity escalated, Bolton snagged his second of the term to make it a one-point game, before Cox drilled a trademark preliminary final goal to snatch the lead for the first time since the five-minute mark of the opening term.

Punching their ticket to the last Saturday in September, Fremantle advanced to a Grand Final clash with either Hawthorn or Brisbane.

Dockers' key forwards go missing again as premiership hopes slip
Fremantle's three key forwards have combined for 162 goals this season, but much like their qualifying final loss to Hawthorn a fortnight ago, the trio struggled to make an impact when it mattered most. The Dockers' talls were held in check in the first half, with Patrick Voss tallying just one disposal, Josh Treacy three and Jye Amiss four, while none registered a score. By the final siren, the trio had managed just two goals between them.

McDonald's goal-spree delivers career milestone
Logan McDonald's rich vein of form continued as he slotted another three majors against Fremantle, bringing his tally to 24 goals across his past seven outings. The key forward has now booted multiple goals in every match during that stretch. It marks a significant milestone for McDonald, who had never previously managed more than 16 goals across any six-game period in his career, underlining his emergence as a reliable focal point in Sydney's attack.

SYDNEY     4.5     7.6     10.10     10.11 (71)
FREMANTLE         2.1     4.5     7.7     12.11 (83)

GOALS
Sydney: McDonald 3, Campbell, Papley, Hanily, Cleary, McInerney, Sheldrick, Curnow
Fremantle: Jackson 2, Bolton 2, Dudley 2, Erasmus, Frederick, Amiss, Young, Voss, Cox

BEST
Sydney: McDonald, Gulden, Serong, Grundy, Rowbottom
Fremantle: Young, Jackson, Brayshaw, Bolton, Dudley, Serong

INJURIES
Sydney: Nil
Fremantle: Nil

LATE CHANGES
Sydney: Nil
Fremantle: Nil

Crowd: 45,129 at the SCG