FREMANTLE 4.1 6.4 8.8 10.9 (69) SYDNEY 1.6 2.11 5.13 7.18 (60)
Goals: Fremantle: H Ballantyne 3, M Walters 3, C Mayne, L Neale, M Barlow, Z Clarke. Sydney: K Tippett 3, D Towers, J Laidler, J McVeigh, S Reid.
Best: Fremantle: N Fyfe, A Sandilands, L Neale, M Walters, D Mundy, T Sheridan. Sydney: J Kennedy, J McVeigh, D Hannebery, K Tippett, D Towers, A Goodes.
Umpires: Robert Findlay, Ray Chamberlain, Dean Margetts.
Official Crowd: 40,071 at Domain Stadium.

Perth A Ross Lyon-coached Fremantle has never worried about winning pretty.

And while the nine–point win the Dockers grafted against the Sydney Swans in the qualifying final at Domain Stadium on Saturday boasted some outstanding performances, it won’t go down as a classic.

It did earn the minor premiers a week off and a home preliminary final on Friday though, confirming that all eyes will be in Perth the week before the grand final after West Coast also beat Hawthorn in their qualifying final on Friday night.

Josh Kennedy almost single-handedly kept Sydney in the game with 39 possessions. And despite continuous poor kicking in front of goal by his forwards, they trailed by just 13 points at the final change.

But the errors continued from the Swans in the final term, Rhyce Shaw slaughtering a shot at goal to kick it out on the full and Kurt Tippett dropping an uncontested chest mark 25m out from goal.

Tippett still kicked two of his three goals in the final quarter and the Swans had six more inside entries than the Dockers for the term, but managed to knock just four points off the margin.

Isaac Heeney (twice) and Gary Rohan both missed set shots in the last three minutes which, if made, could have changed the result.

After the Dockers kicked the first four goals of the game, they were able to keep their opposition at arm’s length, the margin not getting beyond 25 points.

Goals at the start of each the third and final terms from the boot of Hayden Ballantyne helped. Playing his first game since round 16 — he was sidelined by a pectoral muscle injury — the plucky small forward booted three, having only kicked only 13 goals in 11 games previously this season.

His teammates also benefited from being rested in round 23, although Luke McPharlin didn’t recover from his leg injury and was a late withdrawal from Saturday’s side.

But Nat Fyfe, David Mundy and Stephen Hill were all fresh and, along with Lachie Neale, set the tone in the midfield in the first half.

Not that Sydney weren’t in the contest, with 16 of their 2014 losing grand final side on the ground.

But they were their own worst enemy.

Scoreboard pressure is essential in finals, so to have 2.11 on the board at half-time did not nothing to help the Swans' cause.

And it wasn’t as if their misses were due to pressure from Fremantle defenders, six of them coming from set shots.

The Swans had 1.6 on the board at quarter-time and trailed the Dockers (4.1) by 13 points.

Sam Reid looked their most dangerous forward and had their only goal, which is why things got that much tougher seven minutes into the second term when he limped from the ground with a hamstring injury.

While doubt circulated during the week over the fitness of Fyfe, who had missed the last two home and away games with a leg injury, those concerns were put to rest early in the game.

He had a game high 12 touches in the first term and 19 for the opening half, showing the form that earned him favouritism for the Brownlow Medal.

He and Neale dominated clearances as Aaron Sandilands did what he does at centre-bounces and at stoppages.

Mundy also continued his stellar late season form.

In attack Michael Walters and Ballantyne were the most dangerous. Walters kicked three in the opening half and when Ballantyne marked and kicked his second early in the third term the margin pushed out to 24 points.

At the other end of the ground, Swans forward Rohan hadn’t touched the ball and Heeney was also struggling – perhaps more so due a big hit he copped from Tom Sheridan in the opening term than his ability to keep up with the tempo.

So, for the second time that there will be no football in Melbourne on preliminary final day.

And with West Coast and the Dockers hosting games that weekend, there is a good chance there won’t be a Victorian side featuring on grand final day either.

It was in 2005 and 2006 that Sydney and West Coast played in memorable grand finals, winning one apiece by less than a kick.

In 2004 Port Adelaide beat Brisbane by 40 points in the other final flag play-off played between sides outside of Victoria.

The Swans appear vulnerable in next week’s semi-final against either Richmond or North Melbourne.

While Nick Smith should return from his hamstring injury, Kieren Jack appears doubtful, and Luke Parker very unlikely to play.

Jack and Smith are All-Australian players, while Parker won the Swans best and fairest award last season.