Sydney consigned St Kilda's 2011 season to the archives after downing the Saints by 25 points at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
The Swans emerged triumphant from a tense elimination final 12.10 (82) to 8.9 (57) and will play Hawthorn in a cut-throat semi-final at the MCG next Friday night.
It took a four-goal to one final quarter for Sydney to seal what had looked a fait accompli when Matt Spangher put them 32 points up early in the third quarter.
But instead of killing the game as a contest, it was the point where the Saints rolled the dice.
St Kilda booted four consecutive goals and looked poised to continue their fairytale-like run when they cut the deficit to eight points at the final change.
With the game up for grabs, it was Sydney that had the answers.
Ben McGlynn gave the Swans some crucial breathing space before Ryan O'Keefe sealed the deal at the 18-minute mark.
It was fitting O'Keefe iced the game, with that goal his fourth in an outstanding performance at both ends of the ground.
Three came in the second term and the silky left-footer proved a calm head when the Saints fightback was in full swing during the third term.
He finished with 4.0 and had 21 possessions to be at the head of the queue when reflecting on the Swans' best.
Adam Goodes showed his class with 25 possessions, while skipper Jarrad McVeigh had a team-high 26 disposals.
One of the cornerstones of Sydney's success was their defence.
Ted Richards did a sterling job on St Kilda skipper Nick Riewoldt, keeping him to 1.3
Rhyce Shaw's dash was at the forefront, while Lewis Roberts-Thomson proved an able ally for Richards.
Teenage forward Sam Reid provided the necessary presence at the pointy end of the park taking eight marks and ruckman Shane Mumford engaged in an enthralling duel with Saint Ben McEvoy.
Mumford played his role with 11 possessions, 33 hit outs and two goals, but McEvoy gave as good as he got.
Nick Dal Santo never threw in the towel, gathering a game-high 33 possessions, while Clint Jones (31) and Jason Gram (26) found plenty of the football.
But St Kilda's inability to find a reliable avenue to goal cost them dearly with Brendon Goddard and Adam Schneider their only multiple scorers with two apiece.
In contrast, O'Keefe (four), McGlynn, Goodes and Mumford (all two) did the job for the Swans.
SYDNEY: 2.4, 7.6, 8.9, 12.10 (82)
ST KILDA: 1.3, 3.4, 7.7, 8.9 (57)
GOALS: SYDNEY: O'Keefe 4, Goodes 2, Mumford 2, McGlynn 2, Reid, Spangher.
ST KILDA: Schneider 2, Goddard 2, Riewoldt, Koschitzke, Milne, Dal Santo.
BEST: SYDNEY: O'Keefe, Goodes, Richards, Shaw, Mumford, Jack.
ST KILDA: Dal Santo, Gram, Jones, Goddard, Dempster, Fisher.
INJURIES: SYDNEY: Hannebery (dislocated shoulder), Rohan (knee).
ST KILDA: Nil.
REPORTS: Nil.
CHANGES: Nil.
UMPIRES: Vozzo, Chamberlain, Mollison.
CROWD: 39,205 at Etihad Stadium.