AFTER a brutal mid-year assessment Mitch Morton has become the latest example of the Sydney Swans' uncanny knack of moulding fringe players from other clubs into effective role players.

The 25-year-old bobbed up with two crucial goals in the second quarter of Saturday's Grand Final win having only won a place in the side in round 21.

Morton frustrated fans with his fluctuating work ethic at West Coast and Richmond before the Swans offered him one last chance to resurrect a stalled career during last year's trade period.

But even though he knew time was running out for him, his career was meandering down the same path in Sydney before his teammates pulled him aside.

"Halfway through the year some things happened … I was close to playing, but the playing group didn't trust me enough," Morton said.

"I was pretty upset about it for a couple of days when they told me that, but it really changed my life that moment.

"I made the decision, then and there, to give my life to this club.

"To be totally honest I had no doubt in my mind that this [Grand Final win] was going to happen for the Swans - I just didn't know whether I would be a part of it."

It's not that Morton was deliberately sabotaging his AFL career, he was just doing the same things he had in his previous 71 games, which didn't come close to cutting it with the Swans.

"Buy in," he replied when asked what it was that his teammates demanded of him at that fateful meeting.

"I thought I was but this club and these players demand more of players than I've seen in my life.

"The demands they put on each in terms of time, work rate and intensity and hitting into the contest … I've never been a part of something like it and it took me a while to get used to it.

"People talk about the Bloods culture; trust me, it's there. I'm not going to divulge too much, but it's very special to be a part of.

"I think this year has changed my life a lot - whether I go with that we'll wait and see - but I know the last 13 weeks have been absolutely gruelling in terms of the amount of work that I've put into my body and my training.

"I love this playing group. I really wanted to be a part of it and I wasn't going to let anything stop me."

Morton was one of six players to taste premiership glory on Saturday having started their careers at other clubs.

Rhyce Shaw (Collingwood), Martin Mattner (Adelaide), Josh Kennedy (Hawthorn), Ted Richards (Essendon) and Shane Mumford (Geelong) left their previous clubs for varying reasons, but the results have generally been the same.

"It was a massive decision to leave Adelaide, but looking back it's been a great journey for me," Mattner said.

"Moving state and the rest of it - I think I've become a better person as well.

"The Swans are very good at getting players from other clubs - being able to get the players they want for a position they want to fill. Take Josh Kennedy for example - they needed an inside midfielder and they went out got him and he's been exceptional."

Kennedy played 13 games in three years after the Hawks claimed him as a father-son pick, but has blossomed into an elite midfielder since moving away from the club where he was more well-known for his name than his on-field exploits.

He's played 73 games in three years and finished in the top three of the club's best and fairest in 2010 and 2011.

"It's hard to single out anyone," Kennedy replied when asked what was behind his career going to a new level.

"But the moment I walked into the place I felt like I was part of something, so I credit the whole club and I feel very fortunate to be part of it."

Changing clubs may not be the ideal scenario for a player, but the Swans have become the masters of offering the right players the right opportunities and reaped the rewards once again on Saturday.

"No one wants to play at more than one club," Morton said.

"We all dream, as kids growing up, of playing in a premiership with one club, but things happen. Things didn't fall my way and the past five weeks things probably have fallen my way.

"Things didn't fall my way [at Richmond] and it was either go to uni and get a job or keep playing footy somewhere else.

"I'm just very, very lucky I'm at Sydney."