THERE was no Wharfie Time at the SCG on Friday night, but Fremantle did not need it as it pulled off a thrilling 12-point comeback win to secure just the second Grand Final appearance in club history. 

Following a surge of five consecutive goals from the Dockers, Mason Cox - just as he did in Collingwood colours - clunked a huge mark and slotted a set shot to edge Fremantle in front.

SWANS V DOCKERS Full match details and stats

It capped an extraordinary turnaround, given the Swans boasted a game-high 28-point lead at the 20-minute mark of 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) to cap off 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, edging the inside-50 count 67–49, while also dominating clearances 44–30.

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, racking up 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 for the Dockers, supported by Andrew Brayshaw, who gathered a team-high 29 disposals.

Justin Longmuir's decision to move Bolton forward proved to be a masterstroke as Fremantle's key forwards struggled to fire.

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, benefiting from a non-call, a brilliant gather and goal from Amiss 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 for attention on his right knee 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. 

Charlie Curnow then made it three consecutive majors for Sydney, with each one originating from a forward-half intercept.

Sydney applied relentless forward-half pressure, dominating tackles and intercepts inside 50 to generate scoring chains and season-high points. 

An excellent set-shot goal after the siren from Hayden Young trimmed the margin, yet 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 another famed preliminary final goal to snatch the lead for the first time since the five-minute mark of the opening term.

Punching its ticket to the last Saturday in September, Fremantle progresses to the Grand Final to face 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 went missing when it mattered. The Dockers' talls were underwhelming in the first half, with Patrick Voss tallying just one disposal, Josh Treacy three, and Jye Amiss four - with none of the three registering a score. By the final siren, the trio finished with just two goals between them.

McDonald's goal-spree delivers career milestone
Logan McDonald's electrifying form continued as he slotted another three majors against Fremantle, bringing his tally to 24 goals over his past seven consecutive outings. The clinical key forward has now booted multiple goals in every match throughout this dominant run. It marks a massive career milestone for McDonald, who had never previously managed more than 16 goals across any six-game stretch in his career, highlighting his emergence as a crucial, reliable focal point for Sydney's high-octane forward line.

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