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ANDREW Dunkley was too nervous for a beer before the start of the Grand Final. 

Not even sitting in the holy of holies – the committee room of the Melbourne Cricket Club – was enough to tempt him to imbibe in any of the amber liquid.

A few anxious sips of water, he told ABC Grandstand, was about all his stomach could take.

We suspect Dunkley was settling in for a long night after the game, celebrating the premiership his son Josh won in his first season with the Western Bulldogs.

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"It's easier playing than what it is watching that's for sure," Andrew Dunkley told AFL.com.au.

"We're a very proud family. Josh has worked his butt off to get to where he has and it's a credit to him. It's his first year of (AFL) footy and he's a premiership player, it's pretty exciting isn't it?"

Four Bulldogs players went one better than their fathers in the 22-point win over the Sydney Swans in the Grand Final.

Andrew Dunkley played 217 games for the Sydney Swans, with the closest he came to a flag being the loss to North Melbourne in the 1996 flag decider.

Tom Liberatore's old man Tony won the 1990 Brownlow Medal but played in three losing preliminary finals for the Dogs, in 1992, 1997 and 1998. Tom has a premiership medal.

Mark Hunter played 130 games in nine years for the Dogs between 1988 and 1996, but never won the medallion son Lachie now wears.

As does Liam Picken, son of Collingwood idol Billy and fixture of the Magpies throughout their near-misses from 1977 to 1981.

"They all want to hold the medal," Hunter said of his family, but really, he could have been speaking for the Dunkley, Liberatore and Picken families as well, all of who would have been well-schooled in years and years of football disappointment.

"He never got to achieve it as a player, but he's just rapt now."

Hunter said the premiership would mean an enormous amount to the players of his father's generation, as it would to all those who wore the jumper in the 62 years between the first and second flags.

"They didn't get to be here like this, but I think it means the same to them as it does to us and its just awesome to win one because of the family ties and because it's the club I grew up supporting."

Picken said his father was "simply delighted".

"My family has supported me so much. It wasn't easy to make it in the AFL and they drive eight hours every week to watch me play, so its great to share that with me."

Billy Picken hasn't shared too much from the sad old 'Colliwobbles' days with his son. "He's actually a very positive person. Even if I have a bad game or have a bad loss he's telling me to get back up."

Picken had an enormous finals series for the Bulldogs and was an influential player from the West Coast elimination final all the way through. The roar he received when he accepted his premiership medal was massive – Bulldog fans know he is their side's barometer.

The name Picken is now synonymous with two clubs. "I enjoy the Western Bulldogs," Liam Picken said. "They gave the opportunity when nobody else would and to be able to repay them and the supporters with a premiership is amazing.

"Everything didn't go right for Dad, but I'll enjoy this one for myself and the club."