Sydney pinched Hawthorn's best player, but the Hawks stole their playbook and claimed the cup.
Sydney were out-Sydneyed, shellshocked, brutalised and eventually beaten to a pulp by a Hawthorn side which has overcome injury to key players, illness to their coach and one of the most stunning recruiting coups the game has seen to win back-to-back premierships.
The result was as unpredictable as the manner in which the punishment was meted out. The Swans are supposed to be the team which stalks their prey, wears them out before going for the jugular, but the roles were reversed.
They were the hunted, and they were mauled mercilessly. The Hawks took every opportunity they could to sink their talons into their stricken opponent.
Lance Franklin, resoundingly jeered by the Hawthorn faithful, was given special treatment. Luke Hodge gave him a kiss, but his teammates chose more violent means of retribution.
He was made to earn his first mark inside 50 by Lake, who planted his elbow in the back of Franklin's head. When the game was in its death throes, his best mate Josh Gibson could not resist driving him into the ground. Franklin sprayed it out on the full.
Franklin, however, could hold his head high, even if he may have spent Saturday night wondering what could have been had he stayed at Hawthorn.
He could not be faulted, making the most of limited opportunities to finish with four goals.
After a string of keenly fought grand finals, this was a fizzer. As a contest, this game was over midway through the second term, the ensuing two hours as humiliating for anyone decked in red and white as it would have been enjoyable for Hawks fans.
This will take some recovering for the Swans, who were no match for the Hawks' physical pressure.
In 2012, they laid 110 tackles, on Saturday they had just 57. As a result the Hawks were able to cut them to ribbons through the midfield time and time again.
Everything the Swans did unravelled spectacularly. Not much worked, which was not surprising given they had so many who did not make a meaningful contribution, including Jarrad McVeigh, Gary Rohan, Lewis Jetta, who all had strong finals campaign up until Saturday.
The only part which worked was their forward line but they could not get the ball down there often enough to make it count.
Their midfield, considered their strength, was overwhelmed and outrun by the Hawks.
Apart from Josh Kennedy, who was game in defeat with 29 possessions, no other Swans midfielder had more than 20 disposals.
That Nick Malceski and Rhyce Shaw were able to have the ball 51 times between them without having a real impact on the game was testament to the Hawks' tackling.
Their defence, normally so solid, was exposed by the lack of pressure being applied further up the ground. As a result, they leaked their highest score in 12 years.
The Hawks' intensity, particularly in their forward line, was evident as early as two minutes in when Josh Kennedy was punished for holding the ball.
They were let off the hook by Liam Shiels but a statement had been made. Kennedy was not to be the only Swan to feel the pressure in the back half.
Heath Grundy, normally dependable, chose to spoil backing into traffic when he could have marked; Malceski was run down by Brad Hill but reprieved.
Their only positive was their efficiency in attack. From seven entries inside 50 they produced two goals, to Kennedy, who kicked the first of the game, and Franklin.
The Hawks were in control, dictating play with their ferocious attack at both the ball and the ball-carrier.
Ask Dan Hannebery how physical Hawthorn were. Given a hospital handball by Shaw, he was rag-dolled by a waiting David Hale. Later he was ironed out by Jarryd Roughead, the wind taken out of the Running Man's lungs.
The Swans' defence was shaky. Normally so constructive on the rebound, they were reduced to a jittery mess.
Take one play where Luke Parker, after winning a crumb at half-back, started a chain of handballs where each recipient was under more pressure than the next. It ended with Kennedy seeking the sanctuary of the boundary line.
Unlike 2012, the Hawks converted their dominance on the scoreboard, Luke Breust starting a run of four unanswered goals for a 20-point break at quarter time.
Surely, the Swans would find an answer. They pulled one back within 50 seconds via Ben McGlynn, who finished off a slick passage of play which started from defence.
But this was not to prove a game-changer. If anything, Hawthorn's intensity went to another level, and the Swans cracked.
Instead of their first thought being to find a target, they were now worried about being tackled - and it showed, their game characterised by indiscriminate kicks, turnovers and a lot of chasing brown and gold tails.
Goals to Hale, Will Langford and two to Luke Hodge blew the margin out to 47 points before the Swans found respite, albeit briefly.
They found badly needed back-to-back goals through Goodes and Franklin but leaked a late one to Roughead, who goalled after Rioli intercepted a handball from Tippett.
The Swans started the second half with purpose and renewed energy. They were rewarded with back-to-back goals to Kieren Jack and Franklin, pulling the margin to 43 points. It would prove as close as they would get.
Final score
Sydney 2.3, 5.3, 8.5, 11.8 (74)
Hawthorn 5.5, 11.9, 16.11, 21.11 (137)
Goals
Sydney: Franklin 4, Goodes 2, Kennedy, McGlynn, Hannebery, Tippett, K.Jack
Hawthorn: Roughead 5, Langford 3, Breust 3, Hodge 2, Gunston 2, Burgoyne 2, Puopolo, Hill, Hale, Suckling
Disposals
Sydney: Kennedy 29, Malceski 26, Shaw 25
Hawthorn: Lewis 37, Hodge 35, Mitchell 33, Gibson 32
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