There's nothing like a good reality check to remind us that humans are susceptible to getting carried away.

For me, that happens four minutes after the start of every Melbourne Cup. Beforehand, I always end up convincing myself that some rank outsider will stun the field. Whether it is because they like the distance, have an inside barrier, have a good jockey, or all of the above, somehow I get sucked in to the hype.

Consequently, it is with little pleasure that I can confess to having backed the horse that ran stone last in two of the past three Cups.

Tonight's semi-final between Hawthorn and Sydney was another such reality check. I'm prepared to admit that after last week - with the unimpressive defeat and the ugly knee injury to Lance Franklin - I thought the Hawks were headed for a straight-sets exit.

I believed the Swans had too many high cards to play. Shane Mumford was supposed to dominate the ruck as he's done so frequently this year, and talls Sam Reid, Jesse White and Adam Goodes were going to test the Hawks' "shaky" defence.

But - reality check - Hawthorn are still a fantastic side that finished third this year with flowing footy and unrivalled kicking skills. Their defence conceded all of 74 points per game this season.

It was that Hawthorn side that began the game tonight strictly on their own terms. They moved the ball effortlessly, and they were untouchable with the ball in dispute. Mumford's opponent Max Bailey drew early blood with the game's opening goal, and Josh Gibson was inspirational in defence, effecting six spoils in the opening term alone.

The Hawks had the same score to quarter time as they did against the Cats last week - 3.5 (23). Yet this time, they seemed a lot more comfortable.

Franklin was dangerous in his miracle recovery from that hyperextended knee, and the bone bruising it produced, and took a few good contested marks inside 50. It was on the end of a chain of handballs, though, that he drilled his first goal.

Hawthorn may have had 10 premiership players on the field, but it was some of their newer additions who made the difference. Shaun Burgoyne and Paul Puopolo had outstanding first halves, while Bailey led a ruck division who won nine hitouts to advantage to the main break. Sydney had two.

Sydney weren't helping themselves either, failing to apply sufficient pressure and allowing Hawthorn to play simply beautiful football.

After half time, however, Sydney lifted. Their ferocity at and numbers around the contest were intimidating. Goodes, in his 300th game, lifted and had a hand in a few goals. Josh Kennedy was one of the standout players on the ground against his old side. A string of quick goals - not coincidentally while Gibson was off the field with an injury scare - gave Sydney a real sniff.

To Hawthorn's credit, though, they quickly put their flashy football away and were able to match the Swans for grunt. As quickly as Sydney found themselves in the game, they were out of it.

Luke Hodge was brilliant in the clinches, willing his side to lift. Burgoyne's composure was reflective of his experience, at least when compared with many of the youngsters around him.

But it was Franklin, who we weren't really convinced was going to play even an hour before the game, who made the difference when it counted with three final-quarter goals.

In the end, the margin of 36 was a pretty accurate representation of the difference between the two teams on the night.

So Hawthorn looks ahead to a preliminary final against Collingwood. It will be a great game between two fiercely competitive teams. The pair has lost just seven games between them this year - and five of those were to Geelong.

Hawthorn starts games very well, and if they can get some scoreboard pressure early on things could get interesting. Franklin didn't seem too hampered by injury, and he has a good record against the Pies. Both Hawthorn's precision kicking and its defence has now proven it can hold up on the big stage. Come to think of it, if Hawthorn play as well as they did in the first half, even Collingwood could have trouble.

Who knows, perhaps by next week the Hawks will be favourite to take down the Pies next week?

But let's not get carried away.