Lance Franklin provided the flash and his teammates the bash, but a question mark lingers over the fitness of veteran Nick Malceski after Sydney's 24-point AFL qualifying final win over Fremantle.
Freo slashed a 22-point three-quarter time deficit to 10 inside three minutes of the final quarter on Saturday, before two trademark Franklin long bombs helped Sydney secure a 13.15 (93) to 10.9 (69) victory.
For most of the first three quarters of a classic dogfight at ANZ Stadium, both teams were guilty of not scoring heavily while providing sustained pressure.
Franklin kicked just one goal in the first three quarters and was effectively double-teamed, but he exerted more influence after a third-quarter switch to the wing.
The newly minted Coleman Medal winner hit the target on the run from almost 70 metres.
He then produced another corker from close to the boundary line 50 metres out to swell Sydney's lead to 23 points.
"He's pretty hard to stop when he's running around like that and he can kick it from so far out," Sydney coach John Longmire said.
Sydney led by three and five at the first two changes.
They pulled away in the latter stages of the third after surviving fierce pressure early in that term, during which Freo had the first eight inside 50s.
For all Franklin's class, Sydney's many defensive acts, including several second-half smothers, helped put Fremantle away.
"The smothering and pressure on the ball carrier, particularly in that third term, made a big difference for us and we were able to get some goals in the end," Longmire said.
"A game like that is a bit of a war of attrition. You've just got to keep going and keep persisting and we kept going."
The one blot for Sydney was a hamstring injury to Malceski, who was substituted at quarter time and who will have a scan to determine the extent of the problem.
"He's felt it before a bit, so we thought we'd be right in keeping him going, but he was a bit sore still so we subbed him out," Longmire said.
Fremantle will play the winner of Sunday's match between Port Adelaide and Richmond.
Dockers coach Ross Lyon said his midfield didn't get the job done in the first half.
"I don't lose any admiration or my team's ability to fight," Lyon said.
"We're a no-excuse football club, but we've had some challenges along the way.
"It hasn't been the smoothest ride this week."
Matthew Pavlich kicked 4.1 for Fremantle, but celebrated small forwards Hayden Ballantyne and Michael Walters contributed just 1.2 between them.
They were well held by Nick Smith and Dane Rampe, while Ben McGlynn, back after two weeks off with a calf injury, kicked three goals for Sydney.
Swans midfielder Luke Parker was outstanding and consolidated his reputation as one the competition's rising stars, with a match-high 32 touches.
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