BILLY Swan got thousands of kicks during his 300-game VFA career.
But there's one with which he'll always be associated: the ``mongrel'' drop punt he let go at Princes Park in 1990 to complete Williamstown's stunning grand final victory over Springvale.
Time diminishes deeds, but it remains a famous moment in what many regard as the greatest VFA decider of all. Springvale led by 34 points early in the last quarter, but Willy thundered home and, through Swan, hit the front with 50 seconds left.
The centreman was 50m out. But Barry Round reckons that at some stage during this week's 20-year reunion of the premiership team, the distance will be have lengthened to top Malcolm Blight's towering torpie against Carlton at the same ground in 1976.
Speaking last Thursday from the Port Melbourne docks where he has worked for 30 years, Swan, 54 next week, said people often asked him about the grand final kick. He is always happy to talk about it.
``I enjoy it, obviously. It's something to hang your hat on,'' he said.
Swan was a star of the VFA. He played in four premierships and won two JJ Liston Trophies at Port Melbourne before crossing to Willy in 1989.
But for all his decorations, he wasn't renowned for kicking the ball long. Fifty metres was more like a mile for the veteran.
With the clock ticking down and Willy surging, he slipped away from his opponent, Peter ``Bugsy'' Maloni, received a pass from Brett McTaggart and went back for a set shot. Was he confident?
``To be honest mate, I didn't give it much thought,'' he said. ``I just went back and kicked it. Actually it was a mongrel kick. I was just lucky that the end I was kicking to was a little bit downhill back in those days. It made it a little bit easier.''
Round said: ``Yeah, she didn't spin all that good, but she just kept going.''
Willy started well, darting out to a three-goal lead, but the Vales, coached by Phil Maylin, gradually got on top and by three quarter time led by 28 points.
In the Willy huddle, Round, 40 and in his second year as coach, can remember thinking the Seagulls would assume the ``Colliwobbles'' tag if they didn't win (Williamstown had lost the 1988-89 grand finals to Phil Cleary's great Coburg team).
Vales champion Graeme Dempster's goal at the three-minute mark of the final quarter put Springy further in front. But Willy came blasting back through goals from Steve Johansen, Marcus O'Connor and Jack Aziz . Ian ``Chops'' Rickman was moved to centre half forward and he drilled two goals in two minutes, the second from a booming kick from inside the square at the 25-minute mark. It must have travelled 70m. It had Williamstown supporters delirious.
Soon after came Swan's kick. As he lined up, Cleary, commentating on ABC TV, exclaimed: ``This is unbelievable. I can't believe it. It's hard to imagine that it's all happened. Springvale seemed to have the game won. What a kick, what a kick for Bill Swan.''
``What a hit!'' colleague Peter Gee boomed as the kick went a good two metres over the line, condemning the Vales to a two-point loss that still haunts club elders.
Gee described the moments after the siren as fans converged on Round and his players: ``What scenes as Williamstown, in one of the greatest grand finals played in the oldest football competition in Australia ... as Barry Round takes them to the premiership cup.''
Speaking from Queensland last Thursday, Round said he'd always thought the drawn final at Waverley between Collingwood and West Coast had helped Willy. The VFA grand final was put back a week.
``Instead of having a week off while the preliminary final was played Springvale had two weeks off and I reckon it might have taken the edge off them,'' Round said. ``It wasn't the ideal preparation for them. They might have been a stiff there.''
Swan did not play in the preliminary final against Preston due to a shoulder injury and says the extra week allowed him to recover. ``I probably wouldn't have played otherwise,'' he said.
This Friday, the Seagulls' 1990 squad will gather at the Carlton pub of chairman of selectors Tony Dullard and the following day will head to Point Gellibrand to watch Willy play Springvale's antecedent, the Casey Scorpions.
All premiership players except McTaggart, who is overseas, will be attending. Swan said half of the premiership men were involved in a betting syndicate. ``A lot of us stay in touch, which is what you want.''
Rickman apparently asked Maylin to attend but he declined.
Asked if he would be sipping lemonade at the reunion, Round quipped: ``Only if I've got to clean my teeth.''
Williamstown's 1990 premiership players were Jack Aziz, Chris Burton, Brett Gould, Andrew Howlett, Steve Johansen, Simon Lloyd, Brett McTaggart, Greg Minett, Troy Mitchell, Bruce Mourney, Wayne Muschialli, Marcus O'Connor, Ian Rickman, Barry Round (captain-coach), Tony Pastore, Rick Slevison, Grant Smith and Billy Swan.