Buttifant became the most important person at the club last weekend when it became apparent he would need to get his charges up for another game after the bruising draw.
However, he said the week wasn't all about water work and ice baths. It also involved a large degree of psychological preparation for the arduous task that was ahead.
"We had to allow the boys to unwind a bit," he told afl.com.au after the Pies' premiership win. "Mick [Malthouse] was very good and he reassured them. We emphasised on the pre-season and doing Mt Humphreys in Arizona.
"The players had learned to overcome adversity and I think by doing that, they got confidence and belief in themselves.
"We've got a very young group and they had the belief they could go all the way. That's a very big thing in sport. We got through last week and survived and we had to go again."
Buttifant said there wasn't time to be hesitant, or room for any doubt in the players' ability to run out the extra game.
"You need to have full faith in the team and they need to believe it as well," he said. "Today they knew they had to dig deep within themselves, physically and mentally, and whatever the result is, that's what happens.
"It was a real team effort with the physios, all my staff and the coaching staff as well. You don't plan for a draw.
"It was quite bizarre really, but what you do is you just go back to the methodologies that you've used in the past - using the same things to get the boys up."
Buttifant has been at the club for 10 years and said the experience of being involved in a premiership - after working through the lost grand finals of 2002 and 2003 - was a privilege.
"It's been a long time coming," he said.
"It probably hasn't soaked in yet and won't for a few days that I've been part of this whole process."
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