Defending AFL premiers Geelong have secured an MCG elimination final with a 34-point win over Sydney at Simonds Stadium.

The 17.10 (112) to 11.12 (78) result on Saturday cost Sydney second spot and they will have to travel to Adelaide to play the Crows next weekend in a qualifying final.

Cats forward Paul Chapman starred with three goals, but he was also reported in the first term for high contact with Swans midfielder Ben McGlynn.

Tom Hawkins took the lead in the Coleman Medal with four goals, giving him 62.

But Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich (60) and Richmond key forward Jack Riewoldt (59) are still to play this weekend.

Geelong’s win saves the AFL a first-week finals scheduling headache, with the Cats and Fremantle in contention to host one of the knockout finals.

Had West Coast and Fremantle qualified to play at home next weekend, the league would have had to work around the Saturday rugby union Test between Australia and South Africa, also at Patersons Stadium.

The Cats belted the Swans in the second half with eight unanswered goals.

After key forward Sam Reid was ruled out during the week with a gluteal muscle injury, Sydney also lost in-form small defender Nick Smith (hamstring) as a late withdrawal.

The pair are expected to be available for the qualifying final.

The Swans, kicking with the wind, matched the Cats through the first term and took the lead just before quarter time when Josh Kennedy kicked a brilliant goal.

Sydney led by nine points early in the second quarter and the Cats’ problems deepened when defender Corey Enright limped off.

But Geelong rallied, kicking the next three goals in the term to lead by nine points at the main break.

Sydney were breaking down across half-forward, with veteran Cats defender Matthew Scarlett superb in possibly his last game at Simonds Stadium.

The Swans hit back, kicking the first two goals of the third quarter to briefly lead by six points.

They took the lead thanks to a Kieren Jack’s outstanding snapped goal from the boundary at 10 minutes.

But the Cats controlled the rest of the term, unleashing a five-goal burst that effectively decided the match.

The Cats had a decisive 25-point advantage going into the final term.

The Swans did not kick another goal until 11 minutes into the last term, when the margin had blown out to 44 points.

Adding to Geelong’s good news, Enright was able to play out the match and ruckman Nathan Vardy impressed in his first game for the season after recovering from a long-term hip injury.