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Selfless players key: Roos
By Ray Thomas
July 29, 2003
DESPITE losing No.1 ruckman Jason Ball for the season with a shoulder injury, coach Paul Roos remains upbeat his team can continue their charge to the finals.
QUESTION: At the start of the season, did you envisage the Swans would be second on the ladder come August?
ANSWER: No, not at all. I don't think anyone would have expected us to be as high up at this stage of the season.
We looked at this year as a real rebuilding year because the club has entered an era post-Kelly, Lockett, Dunkley and Schwass, four great players that were always going to be hard to replace. Our focus, that of both the coaching and playing group, has been to work towards improving the club and laying the foundation for the club's future success.
Q: Most critics predicted the Swans would finish closer to last than first so it must give you immense satisfaction to see the team performing so consistently well?
A: I guess you wouldn't be human if you were not pleased with the way the team is playing. It's pleasing we have a playing group that is continuing to improve.
Q: How much kudos can you, as coach, take for the Swans success?
A: I've always said the coach gets too much credit when the team wins, and too much grief when the team loses.
The players are the ones out there making it happen. They are kicking the goals and making the tackles so they deserve much of the credit.
Q: What, then, has been the secret to the Swans success this year?
A: I think the evenness of the playing group. Each individual is contributing to the team and that is the important factor.
We are not a team full of superstars but we have guys playing their roles every week and they are happy to do that. The selflessness of the players really stands out for me. They are not ego-driven and work for the team.
Q: The team is playing an attractive, attacking style of footy. Is this something you have deliberately set out to achieve?
A: We wanted to play an exciting brand of aggressive attacking football, which I think suits this team. But we are also conscious of being a strong-tackling team and we want the players to always be hard at the ball.
Q: You must be extremely happy with the performances of the young players introduced to the team this year?
A: Definitely. Every player that has stepped into the team has been very impressive. Lewis Roberts-Thomson, James Meiklejohn, Adam Schneider, Jarrad Sundqvist and Mark Powell have all showed they can play footy at this level.
Q: With Jason Ball out for an extended period, will you rush Stephen Doyle back into the team as ruckman?
A: I don't know yet. We haven't really pushed Doyle back from injury. We need to assess how he is coming along.
Q: If Ball and Doyle are not there, can the team afford to have Adam Goodes playing as the team's number one ruckman given he can be so influential and devastating when playing either in attack or defence?
A: He has taken the number one ruck role at times during this year but we have to be mindful of not running him into the ground.
We wouldn't want him to play the sort of role he was forced to against Fremantle last Sunday. Adam was terrific in that game, particularly the last quarter, but we need to find someone to help him out in the ruck.
Q: Could Roberts-Thomson or Mieklejohn perform that role in the ruck?
A: Well, they are going to have to, it's out of necessity. Thankfully they have had a bit of game time this season. We certainly didn't envisage losing "Bally" but that is the reality of the situation.
Q: I know you don't like talking finals but how important is it for Sydney to finish top two and get a home final in week one?
A: It's important to keep winning football games, that's our main focus. We have Adelaide in Adelaide this week and there are few tougher tasks.
By Ray Thomas
July 29, 2003
DESPITE losing No.1 ruckman Jason Ball for the season with a shoulder injury, coach Paul Roos remains upbeat his team can continue their charge to the finals.
QUESTION: At the start of the season, did you envisage the Swans would be second on the ladder come August?
ANSWER: No, not at all. I don't think anyone would have expected us to be as high up at this stage of the season.
We looked at this year as a real rebuilding year because the club has entered an era post-Kelly, Lockett, Dunkley and Schwass, four great players that were always going to be hard to replace. Our focus, that of both the coaching and playing group, has been to work towards improving the club and laying the foundation for the club's future success.
Q: Most critics predicted the Swans would finish closer to last than first so it must give you immense satisfaction to see the team performing so consistently well?
A: I guess you wouldn't be human if you were not pleased with the way the team is playing. It's pleasing we have a playing group that is continuing to improve.
Q: How much kudos can you, as coach, take for the Swans success?
A: I've always said the coach gets too much credit when the team wins, and too much grief when the team loses.
The players are the ones out there making it happen. They are kicking the goals and making the tackles so they deserve much of the credit.
Q: What, then, has been the secret to the Swans success this year?
A: I think the evenness of the playing group. Each individual is contributing to the team and that is the important factor.
We are not a team full of superstars but we have guys playing their roles every week and they are happy to do that. The selflessness of the players really stands out for me. They are not ego-driven and work for the team.
Q: The team is playing an attractive, attacking style of footy. Is this something you have deliberately set out to achieve?
A: We wanted to play an exciting brand of aggressive attacking football, which I think suits this team. But we are also conscious of being a strong-tackling team and we want the players to always be hard at the ball.
Q: You must be extremely happy with the performances of the young players introduced to the team this year?
A: Definitely. Every player that has stepped into the team has been very impressive. Lewis Roberts-Thomson, James Meiklejohn, Adam Schneider, Jarrad Sundqvist and Mark Powell have all showed they can play footy at this level.
Q: With Jason Ball out for an extended period, will you rush Stephen Doyle back into the team as ruckman?
A: I don't know yet. We haven't really pushed Doyle back from injury. We need to assess how he is coming along.
Q: If Ball and Doyle are not there, can the team afford to have Adam Goodes playing as the team's number one ruckman given he can be so influential and devastating when playing either in attack or defence?
A: He has taken the number one ruck role at times during this year but we have to be mindful of not running him into the ground.
We wouldn't want him to play the sort of role he was forced to against Fremantle last Sunday. Adam was terrific in that game, particularly the last quarter, but we need to find someone to help him out in the ruck.
Q: Could Roberts-Thomson or Mieklejohn perform that role in the ruck?
A: Well, they are going to have to, it's out of necessity. Thankfully they have had a bit of game time this season. We certainly didn't envisage losing "Bally" but that is the reality of the situation.
Q: I know you don't like talking finals but how important is it for Sydney to finish top two and get a home final in week one?
A: It's important to keep winning football games, that's our main focus. We have Adelaide in Adelaide this week and there are few tougher tasks.
