TED RICHARDS' father has revealed his son could barely walk on Wednesday before lining up on Hawthorn superstar Buddy Franklin in the Sydney Swans' premiership victory on Saturday.

Richards rolled his ankle in last week's preliminary final victory over Collingwood and was clearly labouring throughout that game.

Seemingly certain to be substituted out against the Pies, he insisted on playing on and managed to limp through and play a key role keeping Chris Dawes quiet.

The club played the extent of the injury down and insisted it was a minor sprain and business as usual for one of their most important players, saying he was never in doubt for Saturday's game.

But his father told AFL.com.au after the match that was far from the real story.

"He wasn't even walking on Wednesday, the truth be known," Jeff Richards said.

"He's as brave as anyone."

Franklin kicked three goals and was a menace all day for the Swans' defenders, but Richards never stopped trying, spending an extraordinary 98 per cent of the game on the field.

Saturday capped an incredible ride from an Essendon discard, to a player stuck in the Swans' reserves as recently as 2010, to now calling himself an All Australian and a premiership player.

He joined the Swans in 2006 and was a member of the losing Grand Final side that year and his father could barely hide his pride at what his son has now achieved.

"We've been on the journey for 12 years and there's been ups and downs, but this is the highest you can go. I'm so excited," he said.

"He's so disciplined and so incredibly tough Ted and he should be very proud of his own efforts and I think everyone is.

"He missed out by a point in '06, a lot of emotion after that game, but it makes it even more important, the game today, because you know what it's like to lose.

"I feel sorry for those Hawthorn players - but not too much."

James Dampney is a reporter for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_JD