Hawthorn have set-up a shot at reigning premiers Collingwood in next week's preliminary final with a 36-point win over Sydney in their semi-final clash at the MCG on Friday night.
The Hawks took a high-risk strategy into the game, opting to play Lance Franklin despite there being a query over his knee injury and were rewarded as the towering spearhead and his team-mates proved a class above the Swans throughout the night.
After keeping the Swans goalless in the first term, they led by 40 points at half time and while Sydney closed to within three goals at the final change, the Hawks powered away to win 19.8 (122) to 13.8 (86) - their first finals success since their victory in the 2008 Grand Final.
Their experienced core, kept quiet last week against Geelong, enjoyed a much better time of it, with Sam Mitchell, Luke Hodge and Josh Gibson all influential.
More importantly, Franklin, who finished with 4.3, got through the match without incident.
Sydney looked a shadow of the side which had beaten St Kilda twice and Geelong in the past month.
Their third-quarter revival, spurred by Adam Goodes in his 300th game, and Craig Bird, offered something as did Josh Kennedy, who was far and away their best player on the night.
Their 2011 campaign finished with respectability, but with a sense that they need to step it up to be top four contenders in John Longmire's second year in charge.
Hawthorn were the dominant team in the first quarter, but until deep in time-on only had one goal to show for it - Max Bailey's major five minutes in.
With the Hawks having 43 more disposals, things were looking grim for the Swans, who with 0.1 had their worst first quarter in a final in their history. They were only spared immediate blushes by the fact the Hawks managed just one goal from their first six scoring shots.
But Sydney's good work in containing the scoreboard damage came unstuck with two minutes left after a horrible mix-up between Nick Smith and Dan Hannebery allowed Michael Osborne to dribble through a goal.
Seconds later the Hawks shot out to a 22-point lead when David Hale fed Cyril Rioli, who then set up Paul Puopolo to give his side considerable breathing space at the first change.
Puopolo bobbed up for the first goal of the second term and while Sydney eventually broke through thanks to Shane Mumford and followed up through Adam Goodes, the game was settled in a four-minute Hawthorn burst which yielded three goals and a 40-point lead.
A crucial error by Jarrad McVeigh, who was caught holding the ball on the goal-line, started the rout as Puopolo kicked his third. Rioli followed up with an audacious one-handed mark and goal, while Hale roved the pack to all but seal a spot in the preliminary final.
Goodes tried to lift his side, but Hodge and Franklin both kicked magnificent majors in time-on and the Hawks looked comfortable with a near seven-goal half time lead after managing 7.0 for the term.
Chance Bateman ensured his name remained in the selection mix for next week with two goals early in the second half but after that point the Hawks' ascendency was challenged for the first time in the game.
The Swans put together four consecutive goals through Matt Spangher, Tadhg Kennelly, Gary Rohan and Ryan O'Keefe to slash the margin back to a thought-provoking 18 points at the last change.
Liam Shiels eased the nerves of his team-mates and Hawks fans with the first major of the last and while McVeigh was able to answer, Jordan Lewis put the result beyond any doubt. Franklin kicked three more goals to top things off, as the Hawks ran away with it late on.
HAWTHORN: 3.5, 10.5, 12.6, 19.8 (122)
SYDNEY: 0.1, 4.1, 9.6, 13.8 (86)
GOALS: HAWTHORN: Franklin 4, Puopolo 3, Bateman 2, Hale 2, Hodge, Rioli, Bailey, Burgoyne, Osborne, Shiels, Lewis, Suckling
SYDNEY: Goodes 3, O'Keefe 3, Mumford, Reid, Rohan, Bird, Spangher, Kennelly, McVeigh
BEST: HAWTHORN: Gibson, Mitchell, Lewis, Hodge, Smith, Burgoyne, Puopolo
SYDNEY: Kennedy, Goodes, McVeigh, Bird, Mumford, O'Keefe
INJURIES: HAWTHORN: Stratton (knee)
SYDNEY: Hannebery (shoulder)
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Nil
UMPIRES: Donlon, Ryan, Nicholls
CROWD: 55,198 at the MCG