Swans crush Roos, book Grand Final spot

THE SYDNEY Swans have stormed into their second Grand Final in three years, swatting aside North Melbourne by 71 points in a one-sided preliminary final at ANZ Stadium on Friday night.

With Lance Franklin (five goals) pulling the strings in a best-on-ground display, the Swans marched to a 19.22 (136) to 9.11 (65) triumph that will only enhance their standing as premiership favorites.

The Kangaroos offered some brief resistance in the first and second quarters, but they were a long way short of the Swans' standard in front of a crowd of 48,209.

The Swans now await the winner of Saturday's second preliminary final between Hawthorn and Port Adelaide, as the Harbour City club gets set to play their fourth Grand Final in the past 10 years.

Franklin, who had been held without a goal in his previous two match-ups with Scott Thompson, toyed with the North defender this time around, finishing with 23 possessions, 11 marks and 5.2.

But he had help all over the ground from a rampant Swans outfit.

earlier in the week, while Kennedy (27 disposals) had 17 touches in the first half – 10 contested – when the game was on the line.

 (three goals) and in a performance that will cause concern to whoever prevails at the MCG on Saturday.

The Swans' star-studded list had been expected to reach a Grand Final for much of 2014, but his team's performance was about more than just its blue-chip stocks.

Friday night's win was the ninth for the Swans in 10 finals played at ANZ Stadium, while the home side beat North Melbourne for the eighth time in their past nine meetings, the only loss in that period coming in round four this year when the Roos kept the Swans to their lowest score of the season – 6.12 (48). 

Outclassed on Friday night, North can still be incredibly proud of its performance in 2014, winning two knockout finals and making the final four from sixth place on the ladder.

It was all the more impressive given the Roos missed the finals 12 months ago, but Friday night was an indication of what is required to find a way into the last Saturday in September.

North Melbourne had won its past six matches coming into Friday night, but the Kangaroos' first preliminary final appearance in seven years ended much like their last in 2007, when they lost by 87 points to Port Adelaide