The senior football team claimed a stunning four-point victory against Moyston in the Ararat and District Football League, winning a premiership they weren't tipped to get.

Premiership coach Terry Croton said despite not going in as the favourite, Swifts was still one of the top three teams of the league for the season.

"Moyston had a really good side and were the best side in the competition," he said.

"We played them in the semi-final at central park and they just smashed us.

"We managed to get over the top of Prestige in the preliminary final - it was a really tough game so our finals campaign wasn't a dream run."

The dream almost came to a standstill when key players Andrew Murphy and David Milne were already out and league best and fairest player Judd Joiner was made unavailable to play.

"We had a number of players out but Joiner was a big out," Croton said.

"The players all loved him. He was one of the really strong leaders that we had. He was a hell of a footballer.

"I think it was Thursday night when I found out he became unavailable and I had one of the toughest jobs I've ever had to do in my football career - tell a group of players our best player wouldn't be around on Saturday."

Croton said he used all the smarts he could muster to convince the troops it was still worth stepping onto the ground.

"When I told the group you could hear a pin drop in the room," he said.

"I said to the group we didn't have to turn up on Saturday. I said to them how we train tonight, will determine whether we go down and play the grand final or just pull the pin.

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"I sent the boys out to run a couple of laps and to have a think about it."

Croton said it wasn't until about the fourth lap when the first sound came from the group.

"I was going to make them keep jogging laps until someone said something," he said.

"Once I heard a voice I thought, oh well let's make a start.

"We did a few exercises and it went from disastrous to not too bad, but not anywhere near where it needed to be if you think you could go in and play a grand final on the weekend."

Through a favourite handball exercise, Croton said it was then, he knew, the boys were ready for the game.

"The drill is really uplifting and really boosts the adrenaline," he said.

"I'll never forget it for as long as I live. I don't know how long the boys were doing the drill. It could have been for 20 minutes - I just don't know.

"The standard of it was unbelievable. I still get goosebumps now, that's how special it was.

"I reckon they could have heard us at Great Western. It was brilliant. I knew straight away then, we're going."

Chris Bird was the centre-half back of the team and Croton said he approached Bird and told him he needed to become the ruckman in Joiner's absence.

"Chris was able to catch up with Judd and it was one of the best things he could have done," he said.

"It was the most uplifting thing and I knew from the words Judd would say to him, Chris would end up being one of the top six players of the game.

"After Chris spoke with Judd he came to my house and he stood about 10 foot tall.

"Judd also wrote a letter to all the boys. I thought you bloody beauty, it was going to be a big pump up for the players."

Croton said an injured Andrew Murphy read the letter to the players on the way out of the rooms.

"I had them juiced up. I had finished talking and they were ready to fire," he said.

"I said on the way out Muph has something to say from Judd.

"After listening to Murph, you know the old saying 'they're that fired up they could run through a brick wall', well, I'm bloody sure they could have."

Croton said he felt not many of the supporters went into the game with the belief they could get the win.

"The game was played Alexandra Oval and naturally the people from Ararat were going to barrack for Moyston," he said.

"It was a hard fought out game and the further the game went on, the crowd had swung and were impressed with how we fought during the match.

"I'd say without a doubt the 1989 premiership is in the top three premierships the club has ever won. It was just an unbelievable team performance."

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