AS HUNDREDS of people crowded into the Sydney Swans' change rooms to begin the club's premiership celebrations, Ray Shaw leaned against a wall near the entrance.

Wearing a broad grin, he sipped a Carlton Draught stubby while observing the unfolding party.

It has been a momentous three years on the football field for Shaw's family.

Two years ago his youngest son, Heath, won a Grand Final with Collingwood.

This time it was Rhyce's turn to win one with the Swans.

For Ray Shaw, these victories are extra-special because he never played in a premiership during his decorated career with the Magpies.

Rather, his return was four Grand Finals losses and a draw.

He then watched Rhyce play in the Collingwood team that lost the 2003 decider to the Brisbane Lions.

That day Rhyce had an afternoon to forget, famously dropping the ball, then allowing Lions forward Alistair Lynch to grab it and kick a goal.

Yet there was no such drama on Saturday, as Rhyce sparked numerous Swans attacks with courageous and skilful play from deep in the backline.

"Everyone knows premierships are hard to come by," Ray said with a chuckle. "You've got to work hard for them.

"In 2010 Collingwood worked hard and now this mob have done it. It was fantastic.

"I'm making a comeback next year to see if I can get one!"

Proudly wearing his premiership medal as he carried a few more cold drinks over to his family, Rhyce Shaw was quick to thank his parents for giving he and Heath the chance to achieve success at the highest level.

"You don't know how much stuff mum and dad have been through, with all Heath's troubles and my troubles off-field," he said.

"But we've come through it the right way and come out the other end as premiership players. It's all worth it."

Over the other side of the buzzing room from the Shaw clan, John Kennedy Jnr, who won four premierships with Hawthorn in the 1980s, looked on as a host of television reporters swarmed around his son Josh, who had just played a key role in denying the Hawks their 11th VFL/AFL flag.

"It would've been nice if they were playing some else," Kennedy said. "That would've made it a bit easier.

"Nevertheless, I'm very happy for (Josh) because it was an extraordinarily difficult decision for him to go (from Hawthorn to the Swans in late 2009).

"It was wrenching for him. But from the day he left, he's never looked back.

"Sydney has been terrific for him. Not only on the field, but off the field as well.

"I'm really happy for him, and I'm really happy for Johnny Longmire and all the Sydney people. They're fantastic."

It had been a strange old Grand Final day for the Kennedys.

Josh's grandfather, John Kennedy Snr, is a Hawthorn legend, who coached the club to three premierships.

He represented the Hawks at the start of the game, carrying the premiership cup onto the field alongside Swans great Bob Skilton.

And Kennedy Snr would have presented the cup to Alastair Clarkson and Luke Hodge if Hawthorn had prevailed.

With that duty snatched away from him, he could be seen commiserating with the Hawks at the end of the game.

"He's the backbone of the club in a lot of ways and he's put a lot of his life into it, so I can understand that," John Kennedy Jnr said, who enjoyed the game from a different part of the ground than his father did.

"I couldn't have sat with my dad. He just gets too wound up. He gets too involved and I'd be watching him and getting scared he was going to have heart attack or something.

"And he would have been really torn today, more so than I was. It would've been difficult for him. It has been difficult all week.

"There was extraordinary pressure on him to work out how he was going to deal with it all.

"It's one of those things you wouldn't have believed was going to happen."

Nevertheless, the Swans' victory was a joyful experience for John Kennedy Jnr.

"Certainly, I had some magnificent times at Hawthorn," he said. "But when you’ve got a son playing at another club, gee it tests your loyalties.

"But at the end of the day he's my son and I want him to experience with I did as a premiership player, and he's done that today.

"We're very, very privileged to be in this position today."

Follow Adam McNicol on Twitter: @AFL_AdamMcNicol

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs.