Goalscoring wizard Nick Davis produced one of the most extraordinary final quarter efforts to lead Sydney to a stunning three-point win over Geelong in their dramatic AFL semi-final at the SCG.

The mercurial forward booted four goals in an amazing solo display to guide the Swans to a 7.14 (56) to 7.11 (53) win and a spot against St Kilda in next week's preliminary final in Melbourne.

Davis's class in the last term was at odds with the entire evening with both teams' ferocious tackling turning the match into an arm wrestle.

The exceptionally talented forward burst to life after his direct opponent David Johnson kicked the visitors out to a 23-point lead early in the last term.

The enigmatic Davis replied just minutes later curling home a goal from an acute angle at the other end of the field to spark the crowd.

He then followed that by slotting through another goal to cut the margin to nine points halfway through the final term.

The Cats looked to have withstood the Swans charge until the 26th minute mark when Davis again goaled, this time a snap from directly in front.

But the Swans, who failed to kick a goal for an entire half of football at one stage, looked like they would pay for their kicking yips earlier in the match, with their score 2.12 at one time.

But in the dying seconds Davis grabbed the ball out of the air from a stoppage and threw it onto his non-preferred left foot and somehow steered through the sealer from the finest of angles.

Play resumed but the siren sounded to the delight of the home crowd just seconds later to end a courageous effort from Geelong, who missed injured captain Steven King from early in the third term.

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