The Swans kicked 13 second-half goals on their way to a 20.8 (128) to 8.13 (61) win over Evandale, joining Lilydale in the competition decider at Windsor Park next Saturday.

The result comes less than a year after East Coast and Bridport joined the division 2 roster, which left Winnaleah and Scottsdale Crows to play out a two-team competition in the NEFU.

“Not everyone wanted us in the comp, that’s no secret,” Swans coach Ned Hyland said after the win. 

“A lot of people doubted us, a lot of people said we weren’t good enough to be here so for us to make the grand final in our first year, it’s just amazing for our football club.”

RELATED: Photos from East Coast v Evandale

Nicholas Child kicks 100^th goal for the season | photos

Evandale all but matched it with the Swans in the early stages, with Thomas Chugg’s two first-quarter majors cancelling out a pair from Hyland and keeping his side within a goal at quarter time.

But wasteful kicking in the second term hurt the Country Eagles, who were outmuscled by the Swans as midfielders Pearce Robinson, Michael Musicka and Jack Rushton took charge.

Clean ball movement and potency in front of goal helped East Coast stretch their lead out to nine goals at three-quarter time and effectively kill the game. 

“We knew that we were younger, faster, fitter so our pressure acts at the start of the game were all pointing towards our back half to run away with the game,” Hyland said. 

“We thought the harder we worked and the more pressure we brought early would give us that buffer to be able to run away with it in the third and the fourth, which it did today.”

Nicholas Child (four goals) and Jake Sushames (six) again wreaked havoc up forward for East Coast, while Hyland also paid credit to his side’s bottom-end players for getting the Swans over the line. 

Chugg was tireless in a losing side, presenting a strong target up forward and down the wings, while Evandale coach Anthony Axton repelled numerous forward thrusts. 

Axton said while his troops created plenty of scoring opportunities in the first half, his side had been outplayed by a strong opposition. 

“We came in at half time at 3.12, and if that’s 12.3 who knows,” he said.

“But we were totally outclassed and well beaten today, there’s no excuses - they had 22 and we had 22 and good on them, it’s going to be a cracking final next week with those two teams.” 

Axton said he couldn’t have asked for more from his playing group over the course of the season. 

“It’s an unbelievable effort I reckon from our group, we were probably 10 off our best side today.

“That didn’t happen last week, that’s happened as the season’s worn on, and for these boys to keep coming up week after week I’m super proud of them.