SYDNEY 5.1 7.4 8.7 11.7 (73) HAWTHORN 0.4 4.9 8.11 9.15 (69)
Goals: Sydney: B McGlynn 2, J McVeigh 2, K Tippett 2, S Reid 2, A Goodes, G Rohan, L Parker. Hawthorn: C Rioli 2, R Schoenmakers 2, J Ceglar, J Gunston, L Breust, P Puopolo, W Langford.
Best: Sydney: Hannebery, Parker, Kennedy, McVeigh, Reid, Richards. Hawthorn: Mitchell, Rioli, Lewis, Hill, Roughead, Ceglar.
Umpires: Troy Pannell, Simon Meredith, Shane McInerney.
Official Crowd: 63,319 at MCG.

With just a handful of seconds left on the clock, the script appeared to have been pre-prepared.

Cyril Rioli's brilliance had kept Hawthorn alive in its early struggle against Sydney, the Hawks more than five goals in arrears at one stage.

His first goal of the evening late in the third quarter gave his side the lead for the first time. His next, exhibiting cat-like reflexes to play on and run into the open goal after a huge grab over Sydney's Ted Richards, widened the gap to 12 points.

And when the Swans came again with the next three goals to snatch back the lead, still the happy ending beckoned, Jack Gunston dishing off a slick handball to a Rioli bound for goal and glory.

But for once, at full tilt and under the hammer, Rioli was reduced to a mere football mortal. The ball slipped agonisingly from his grasp, Sydney cleared its lines one last time, and steered to safety as the siren heralded the end of a classic.

This was the game we were supposed to get last grand final day. In fact, there were some pretty obvious parallels to the game we DID get on grand final day 2012. And like then, in a see-sawing match, it was the Swans with their noses in front at the finish.

Significantly also, like that day, it was Hawthorn which dominated the key area of scoring opportunities, racking up 54 inside 50s to the Swans' minimal 36. Yet Sydney had it all over the Hawks once again for efficiency. It scored once every two entries. Hawthorn had 14 by quarter-time and was still goalless.

The Swans had their first goal on the board within 90 seconds of the start, Gary Rohan marking on a lead and converting from the forward-pocket. It was two within three minutes after Josh Gibson infringed from behind on Kurt Tippett.

That would remain the ledger for a good 15 minutes, but as significant as the scoreboard was the early tackle count, which the Swans led comprehensively.

In last year's grand final, Sydney had managed to lay just seven tackles in the entire first quarter. On Saturday night, they had racked up that many within nine minutes.

Hawthorn still won more than its share of ball, but kicked only points where the Swans converted. Indeed, the Hawks had almost trebled Sydney for forward entries for very little reward. And a burst of three goals within three minutes from the Swans added more than insult to injury.

The Hawks remained goalless for the first time in more than a year at the first break. And when Ben McGlynn ran into an open goal four minutes into the second term following another gettable Hawthorn goal missed by Jack Gunston, it was six-goals-to-zip, a margin of 32 points and the Hawks in all sorts of trouble.

Fortunately for Hawthorn, that was also the moment the spirit of last September seemed to rise again. The Hawks would rattle on the next four goals, most of them directly as a result of the sort of pressure acts which made their grand final win so complete.

Luke Breust kicked the first after Gunston had nailed Sydney defender Dane Rampe in a tackle and won a holding-the-ball free. The second to Ryan Schoenmakers came after Rioli courageously stood his ground to mark inside 50 with Swan Jeremy Laidler bearing down on him at a rate of knots.

The next, a “gimme” to Jonathon Ceglar, was the crumbs of a Jarryd Roughead marking contest in the goalsquare. And the toughness continued. Breust nailed Jake Lloyd. Schoenmakers bailed up Tippett.

And Will Langford brought the gap back to just seven after he wrapped up Ted Richards, the Sydney veteran pinged for a throw.

The third term saw more of the same Gunston, Schoenmakers, Puopolo and Rioli starting to make scoring look easier for the Hawks, Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis dominant midfield, Brad Hill continuing to turn on the jets in the last.

But never dismiss the power of professional pride, and the sting of humiliation on the biggest stage. Sydney skipper Jarrad McVeigh, shifted forward, latched on to a loose ball and bounced one through.

Then, with under seven minutes remaining, he outbodied Matt Suckling in the goalsquare to reduce the gap to only a point.

The third leg of the veteran's match-winning trifecta was to slip in front of his opponent to accept McGlynn's pass and, spotting Luke Parker out in the open and en route to goal, hit him on the chest.

Sydney led again. And for a final time. But still the Hawks came, Breust unusually missing a set shot to take the points before that final twist of ill fate for Rioli. Well, final for now. But who wouldn't think after a game that good, that these two might be doing exactly the same sort of stuff once again a few months from now?