GARRY Jack is not someone who has to live vicariously through anyone.

The Balmain Tigers legend represented New South Wales and Australia in rugby league, won the 1987 Golden Boot Award as the world's best player, and in 2005 was named one of the 25 greatest NSW State of Origin players by Rugby League Week.

But at the MCG on Saturday, Jack's son, Kieren, achieved something he never did as a player - winning a Grand Final.

Jack was part of Balmain's losing 1988 and 1989 Grand Final teams, but that pain was forgotten on Saturday evening as he revelled in his son's achievement.

"I never won one as a player, but to win one as a father is just fantastic, absolutely fantastic," Jack said in the jubilant Swans' rooms after their 10-point win over Hawthorn.

"This was the greatest sporting event I've been involved with ever.

"I was here in '05 when they won and to win today and see Kieren kick two goals, I'm just so proud of him."

Jack said his son's premiership medallion would be made all the sweeter by the tough yards he had to put in at the start of AFL career.

Jack joked that he'd told Kieren to sleep outside for the first month after he'd announced he wanted to play Australian Football and not rugby league.

But, on a more serious note, he spoke with obvious pride about Kieren's ability to establish himself at the Swans after being selected in the 2006 rookie draft.

"When you're a rookie and you're pick No. 58 in the rookie draft they probably only give you a year, maybe two, if you don't shape up.

"He was a late developer and he made every post a winner, trained really hard and got his kicking in order.

"And he's become a key midfielder now and a key player for the Swans. So it doesn't matter how good you are at 18, it's how good you are after that that matters.

"So few kids get the chance to play senior footy let alone play in a premiership. But Kieren's written his own history now."

Soon after our conversation, Kieren joined his father in the Swans' rooms. The pair embraced and then posed for photos with the premiership cup.

Kieren said the Swans premiership was a win not just for him, but for the Jack family.

"He still feels the pain from when he played and I sort of felt it as well a bit," Kieren said of his father's career.

"But to be able to win this personally, it's the best feeling for the family as well."

Kieren was his typical hardworking self against the Hawks. He had 14 possessions, 10 tackles - second only to Norm Smith medallist Ryan O'Keefe - and kicked two goals.

Kieren's first goal came as part of the Swans' unanswered eight-goal run from the start of the second quarter to early in the third term.

His second came at the 19-minute mark of the last term. Running onto a loose ball created by Mitch Morton, he kept his feet as Hawk Clinton Young fell over and goaled from the goalsquare. In doing so, he tied the game.

"I was glad I kicked it. We needed it. We needed something," Kieren said.

"We just had to try and shift the momentum a bit. They had two quick goals [at the start of the last quarter], so we just stemmed the flow and were able to get back level."

Just four of the Swans' team that defeated the Hawks were part of the club's 2005 premiership.

As one of the 18 players who weren't, Jack said it was nice to join Adam Goodes, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, O'Keefe and Jude Bolton as a premiership player.

"I just saw Craig Bolton and Paul Williams [in the Swans rooms] and those sort of blokes and you're just so envious of them for winning a premiership in '05," Kieren said.

"But now we can say we've done the same."

Nick Bowen is a reporter with AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Nick