Sydney beat reigning premier Brisbane by 53 points in Saturday's qualifying final at the SCG, 21.15 (141) to 13.10 (88), with five of its best players stood down and its captain helped off the ground in the first quarter. The result gives the Swans a week off and a preliminary final at home. Brisbane goes to a sudden-death semi-final against Adelaide.

Logan McDonald kicked six goals, the best return of his career, and Charlie Curnow and Tom Papley kicked five each. Errol Gulden had 34 disposals, eight clearances and 915 metres gained. Sydney led by 26 points at quarter time and 34 at half time, and finished 69 to 52 in inside 50s and 45 to 35 in clearances in front of 37,261 people.

The cost came early. Callum Mills' right knee gave way as he changed direction on the boundary line in the first quarter. He could not put weight on it and was helped off by trainers, and he did not return. Coach Dean Cox would not put a name to the injury after the game. "It's a knee, yeah. We're not sure exactly the full extent of it, but yeah, it doesn't look good," he said. "In the next couple of days we'll find out the extent of that, which is devastating for him and the footy club." Scans were expected early this week and the club had not announced a result by Monday morning.

Mills, asked about it on the ground, put the question aside. "We'll figure it out later. It is what it is. I'm just so proud to be a part of this group," he said.

The Swans went in without Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, James Jordon and Riley Bice, who were stood down by the club on 19 August for the rest of the season for what chairman Andrew Pridham called a breach of club standards on a trip to Melbourne. The night in question is also the subject of a Victoria Police investigation. None of the five has been charged. Joel Amartey and Justin McInerney were out injured, and Cox said both "should both be available" for the preliminary final.

McDonald, who hurt an ankle before half time of the 2024 grand final loss and missed all of 2025, said the fortnight had been hard on the club. "I'm rapt to win. I'm rapt to have a home preliminary final," he said. "I'm so very proud of the people in this club. It's been tough the last couple of weeks." On playing alongside Curnow, the three-time Coleman medallist who arrived from Carlton: "When you've got the whole defence worried about one player, I find myself in a lot of space."

Brisbane coach Chris Fagan said he had spent the week warning his players and was not sure they had listened. "Sydney was magnificent. They won because they were tougher, harder, they ran harder, they used the ball well," he said. "That's the key thing now, is bouncing back. The ball's in our players' court. How badly do they want it? We'll see next week." Josh Dunkley, Brisbane's best with 24 disposals and eight tackles, said the margin had not crossed anyone's mind. "They were just harder and tougher than us and they wanted it probably more right from the start."

Sydney finished second on the ladder and will host the winner of Friday's semi-final between Fremantle and Geelong at Optus Stadium, which starts at 6.10pm Perth time. Brisbane plays Adelaide at the Gabba on Saturday at 7.35pm, with the winner meeting Hawthorn. Tickets for both semi-finals went on sale on Monday. The grand final is at the MCG on 26 September.