An emotional Steve Smith praised his "exceptional" team as Australia reclaimed the Ashes with an innings win over England in the third Test in Perth on Monday, and set his sights on a series whitewash.

Smith broke down in tears in the Australian dressing room at the WACA as he came to terms with having led a team to Ashes glory in his first tilt as captain in a Test series against England.

The world's best batsman led from the front with his second player of the match award in three matches and was on Monday night digesting the greatest moment of his two years at the helm as Australia's full-time captain.

"I was crying in the sheds a minute ago. Everything just came out," Smith told ABC radio.

On the back of pacer Josh Hazlewood's five-for, Australia dismissed England for 218 in their second innings after rain delays and a pitch controversy on the final day in Perth to win back the urn in the last Ashes Test to be played at the WACA Ground.

That gave the home side an innings-and-41-run win and an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, having won the opening two Tests in Brisbane and Adelaide.

"We have worked incredibly hard. It has been a great couple of weeks and I am really proud of everyone back in that room."

Smith opened the series with a fighting hundred, his slowest in Test cricket, at the Gabba, and added his fastest ever in Perth en route to a magnificent, career-high 239 that along with Mitchell Marsh's 181 changed the course of the match irrevocably.

In between, he was under the pump for his captaincy in Adelaide, specifically his decision not to enforce the follow-on on the third evening when Australia had England on the back foot. The team ultimately won comfortably there but even as he re-wrote the post-Bradman record books with his run-scoring Smith knew the job was not done until the Ashes had been won.

"It was my first Ashes series as captain and I wanted to make that mark and do something really special," Smith said at his post-match news conference.

"I've really enjoyed every moment of it. We've put in so much hard work, the preparation and everything that has come with this series. It's been huge to know that everything has worked and we've been able to get that urn back.

"What the boys have done over the past couple of weeks has been exceptional. England have had their foot in the door....and we've been able to claw our way back. When we've done that we've been able to put our foot on the throat."

SCORES IN BRIEF

ENGLAND: First innings 403

AUSTRALIA: First innings 662 for 9 decl.

ENGLAND: Second innings 218 (Vince 55, Malan 54, Woakes 22; Hazlewood 5-48, Cummins 2-53, Lyon 2-42)

Result: Australia won by an innings and 41 runs and led 5-match series 3-0.

Player-of-the-match: Steven Smith.