A FIVE-GOAL masterclass from Chloe Molloy has propelled Sydney into the finals, powering the Swans to a commanding 22-point win over West Coast in blustery conditions at Henson Park.

The 12.6 (78) to 8.8 (56) victory sealed Sydney's first finals appearance since 2023, capping a high-scoring contest that featured eight lead changes.

West Coast started strongly, building a 14-point buffer in the second term before Sydney mounted a decisive fightback.

While the Swans edged the inside-50 count (40–32) and won the clearance battle (30–27), the Eagles were remarkably efficient in attack, converting 59.4 per cent of their inside 50s compared to Sydney's 47.6 per cent.

Molloy was unstoppable in attack, finishing with 17 disposals, five tackles, four clearances and five goals. The haul moved her to top of the AFLW goalkicking leaderboard with 24 goals for the season.

Laura Gardiner led all-comers with 24 disposals, while Keeley Skepper spearheaded West Coast's attack with two goals. Charlotte Riggs and Isabella Lewis also battled hard for the Eagles, sharing team-high hauls of 17 disposals apiece.

The Eagles trapped the ball inside their forward 50 early and made their numbers count at stoppages, with Kayla Dalgleish gathering cleanly and snapping the opener on the run.

Sydney responded immediately, Molloy breaking from the centre before Montana Ham added another moments later to give the Swans back-to-back goals from centre clearances.

In the blustery conditions, a wayward Zippy Fish kick-in led to a fumble from Laura Gardiner, which Lucia Painter capitalised on for a goal. Jaide Britton then pounced on another turnover, meaning the Swans had conceded two goals directly from kick-ins.

Lethally efficient in attack, West Coast generated eight scores from nine inside 50s, while twice generating multiple scores from a single entry to take a three-point lead into quarter-time.

As the match became a goal-for-goal arm wrestle, Amy Franklin converted following a 50m penalty against Ash Van Loon, before Tanya Kennedy answered instantly at the other end after a fortuitous bounce. Skepper then kicked her second, prompting Sydney to move Molloy on-ball to great effect.

Sydney applied fierce pressure in the second quarter, dominating the tackle count 22 to nine. The Eagles held firm, however, winning the contest and clearances while transitioning smoothly from defence.

Discipline proved costly for Sydney, with the Swans conceding two goals from 50-metre penalties, including one against Kennedy for holding in the goal square that gifted Roxanne Roux a goal.

That goal saw West Coast surpass 46 points, its highest score since round five, but Sydney's dominance at centre bounces kept the Swans within eight points at half-time.

Two brilliant individual goals from Cynthia Hamilton to start the third term saw the Swans snatch back the lead. Sydney then seized control of territory, dominating inside 50s, clearances and tackles.

In her return to the side for just her second AFLW game, Jovie Skewes-Clinton gathered cleanly and kicked her first AFLW goal to respond for the Eagles.

Molloy soon hit back with her second, kicking Sydney's third goal of the quarter from a forward-half turnover.

Adding to West Coast's concerns, Zoe Wakfer was helped off the ground with a left ankle injury, although she returned after three-quarter time.

A two-point margin at the final break set up a thrilling finish, but the final quarter belonged to Molloy as she kicked all three of Sydney's goals to seal the win.

McEvoy snaps goal drought
On the cusp of half-time, Lucy McEvoy pushed forward and sent a long kick sailing through for a much-needed goal. It was McEvoy's first goal since round eight of 2024, ending a run of 13 consecutive behinds. The breakthrough came at an important time for Sydney, rewarding the Swans after West Coast had made the most of its opportunities.

Molloy surges to the top
The first of Chloe Molloy's fourth-quarter goals saw her move to the top of the AFLW goalkicking race and she'll be hard to stop now given her hot patch of form. It was Molloy's third consecutive game with at least three goals and her sixth such haul of the season. She also reached 100 career goals during the final term, capping a match-winning five-goal performance that propelled Sydney into the finals.

Up next
In the final game of the home-and-away season, Sydney will travel to Perth to take on Fremantle, while West Coast will return home to face Hawthorn on Saturday.

SYDNEY       3.1    6.4    9.4    12.6 (78)
WEST COAST   3.4    7.6    8.8    8.8 (56)

GOALS
Sydney: Molloy 5, C.Hamilton 2, Ham, Smith, Kennedy, Cooper, McEvoy
West Coast: Skepper 2, Dalgleish, Painter, Britton, Franklin, Roux, Skewes-Clinton

BEST
Sydney: Molloy, Gardiner, Smith, Ham, Kennedy, Cooper
West Coast: Riggs, Painter, Thomas Bushby, Roberts, Lewis

INJURIES
Sydney: Nil
West Coast: Zoe Wakfer (ankle)

Crowd: 3,587 at Henson Park