SYDNEY has powered through wild conditions to defeat the Western Bulldogs by 29 points in the second elimination final at Henson Park, keeping its premiership hopes alive with a 7.4 (46) to 2.5 (17) victory.

The wind-assisted City End proved far more lucrative, accounting for seven of the game’s nine goals, with the Marrickville End yielding just two.

Although the Bulldogs edged the inside-50 count (36-35) and the sides finished level in clearances (28-28), the Swans proved far more efficient in trying conditions, converting 20 per cent of their entries compared to the Dogs’ five per cent.

The Bulldogs won the disposal count (254-201), but no player was more impactful around the contest than Tanya Kennedy, who laid a game-high 17 tackles.

Both teams received a boost ahead of the clash, with Sofia Hurley (ankle) returning for the Swans, while the Dogs welcomed back co-captain Isabelle Pritchard (knee) and Ellie Blackburn (managed). With key personnel returning, the midfield battle took centre stage. 

Blackburn immediately led the way for the Bulldogs, collecting a game-high 29 disposals, while Alice Edmonds dominated the ruck with 42 hit-outs. Hurley, however, had a quiet return for Sydney in limited game time.

Instead, Laura Gardiner led the Swans with 22 disposals, while Amelia Martin proved the difference up forward as the game’s only multiple goalscorer.

Sydney exploded out of the blocks, winning the opening clearance before Lucy McEvoy's long kick bounced through for a goal after just 19 seconds, tying the record for the fastest opening goal in an AFLW final.

Tanya Kennedy soon snapped a second from an angle, before Molloy evaded a tackle to set up Cynthia Hamilton’s curler as the Swans converted their first three inside-50 entries into goals. The Bulldogs, despite controlling the early stoppages, could not generate scoreboard pressure.

The Swans capitalised with 3.0 (18) from turnovers and clearances while conceding just a rushed behind, taking a 24-point lead into quarter-time. 

The breeze helped Sydney dominate field position in the opening term, but the momentum began to shift with the Bulldogs kicking with the wind in the second.

Ellie Blackburn found space and danced around her opponents to snap their opening goal. 

The Bulldogs maintained the pressure and locked the ball in their forward half, but were inefficient inside 50 and failed to capitalise on their dominance. 

They held Sydney scoreless for the second quarter but trimmed the deficit by only seven points, leaving the Swans with a 17-point buffer at half-time. 

Hartwig finally broke the drought at the Marrickville End, kicking the Bulldogs' first goal into the wind. 

Sydney held a 23-point lead at the last break, with the Bulldogs having the final use of the wind in the fourth. 

But a goal from Taylor Smith against the breeze extended the Swans' lead to a game-high 30 points. 

Up next
While the Western Bulldogs' season has come to an end, Sydney will now travel to face Geelong in the second semi-final, with the Swans hoping to play at GMHBA Stadium after a prior Superbikes booking forced the Cats' qualifying final to Ikon Park.

SYDNEY                         4.1   4.1   6.4   7.4 (46)
WESTERN BULLDOGS    0.1   1.2   2.3   2.5 (17)

GOALS
Sydney: Martin 2, McEvoy, Kennedy, C.Hamilton, Molloy, Smith
Western Bulldogs: Blackburn, Hartwig

BEST
Sydney: Kennedy, Molloy, Quinn, McEvoy, Gardiner, Martin
Western Bulldogs: Edmonds, Blackburn, Woodley, Cann, Hartwig, Wilcox

INJURIES
Sydney: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Nil

LATE CHANGES
Sydney: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Nil

Crowd: 4325 at Henson Park