RENOWNED for their ability to get the best out of discarded players, the Sydney Swans might pull off their best trick yet if Mitch Morton can play a role in a premiership victory on Saturday.

When the Swans threw Morton a lifeline late last year, it was met with a healthy amount of scepticism.

He'd failed to find a permanent home with either West Coast or Richmond and was widely regarded as a step too far, even for the Swans.

But the Harbour City club decided to role the dice in a trade with the Tigers that only cost pick 79 in the NAB AFL Draft.

"He’ll add depth to our side and give us more firepower," Swans coach John Longmire insisted at the time.

Almost 12 months later, Morton stands on the precipice of Grand Final glory.

Morton admitted in November last year that 2012 was his last chance, but there were still setbacks.

Desperate to get in the best physical condition of his life, the 25-year-old picked up a leg infection from a kickboxing boot camp in Thailand that affected his pre-season.

Once he recovered, Morton kicked more than 70 goals with the reserves before getting his chance as a substitute against the Western Bulldogs in round 21.

Dropped in round 23, he persevered and is now expected to retain his place to take on Hawthorn, having contributed to both finals victories thus far.

"He's worked incredibly hard. I’m so pleased for him," Swans reserves coach Jared Crouch said on Wednesday.

"He spent a fair bit of time with me in the reserves and he was never that far away, it's a bit about opportunity. Being a little bit older, he probably knew that if he got that opportunity, he had to make the most of it.

"He certainly did that.

"It's a great story for some of our younger guys about persistence."

Crouch knows a thing or two about Grand Final day, playing a key role in the Swans' 2005 premiership victory over West Coast.

When asked who he played on, the accomplished tagger replied: "I started on Ashley Sampi, got moved to Chris Judd and then finished a little bit on Ben Cousins."

So not much of a job then.

"Not much of a job. I was just lucky I had 21 other teammates who did their role and we got the job done."

That is the fundamental ethos of the Swans - playing your role.

Morton had shown he could kick goals, leading Richmond with 41 in 2009, but he had to adhere to other principles.

Swans assistant coach John Blakey said he "brings an X-factor" and his pressure acts are what has kept him in the side.

"He's changed, he's come from a couple of different clubs, he had to get used to our culture and what we really value and it's not all about kicking goals," Crouch said.

"I'll certainly be happy if he manages to kick a couple on the weekend, but there's other things we value more that make us a good football team."

Morton's elevation to the senior side meant Crouch didn't have him for the NEAFL Eastern Conference Grand Final, which the Swans lost to Queanbeyan.

"It would've been handy if I'd had him for the Grand Final," he said.

"But I'm pretty happy he's in the main one; the one that really matters."

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