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Roos unfazed by lack of 'gorillas'
By Chip Le Grand
05aug03
AS Sydney prepare to confront the competition's three biggest forward set-ups in the space of three weeks, Swans coach Paul Roos has dismissed as "myth" the theory that his undersized defence will be exposed now that the business end of the season has arrived.
Wayne Carey's five-goal haul for Adelaide against the Swans last weekend fuelled speculation that this year's feel-good team have one significant chink in their armour: the lack of a key defender capable of standing the likes of Carey, Alastair Lynch or Anthony Rocca under big-game pressure.
It is a theory which will be immediately put to the test, with the Swans scheduled to run into Hawthorn's Jade Rawlings, Nick Holland and Nathan Thompson, Brisbane's Lynch and Jonathan Brown and Collingwood's Chris Tarrant, Rocca and Jarrod Molloy in successive games.
Although Roos concedes the club has been unable to find a like replacement for retired full-back Andrew Dunkley, he is standing by his mid-sized defensive trio of Jason Saddington, Andrew Schauble and Craig Bolton to handle any forward combination in the AFL.
Denis Pagan's theories on "gorilla" warfare notwithstanding, Roos said it was a myth that every team needed big, bulky defenders to handle the biggest opposition forwards.
"We would certainly love to have a huge, monster defender who can run and jump but it certainly hasn't been as big an issue to us as it is to other people," Roos said.
"I just think it is a bit of myth in footy. If you have got a good forward, he is going to kick goals on a big defender. Alastair Lynch is going to kick goals on the biggest defender going around.
"Down the other end Michael O'Loughlin manhandled Ben Hart a couple of times but I don't think anyone has written anything about that. It is something that people are always going to think, that the Swans don't have big defenders, and we are happy if other teams think that."
Roos said Carey's performance needed to be put in context.
"It is interesting people have made a lot out of Wayne. Wayne took a mark over the line, a mark on the centre and his other three goals were from crumbs. He is a terrific player but I don't think it is an area that we suffered in on the weekend."
After watching countless replays of Carey's contentious, goal-line mark, Roos remains convinced that it should not have been awarded. He called for the introduction of full-time, professional umpires to bring umpiring up to speed with the rest of the game.
The AFL begged to differ. After reviewing the Carey decision, director of umpiring Jeff Gieschen backed the judg ment of goal umpire Ante Perkovic's that a part of the ball was in the field of play when the mark was completed.
"Ante Perkovic was in a perfect position to make his decision and the umpire's view was that the whole of the ball had not crossed the line before Carey completed his mark," Gieschen said.
The AFL was the bearer of some good news for the Swans, with fill-in ruckman Lewis Robert-Thomson named as this week's AFL Rising Star.
Following a season-ending shoulder injury to Jason Ball, the 19-year-old rugby union convert was asked to share the rucking duties against Adelaide with Adam Goodes and ended up rucking the entire second half against Matthew Clarke and Rhett Biglands, arguably the best rucking combination in the competition.
By Chip Le Grand
05aug03
AS Sydney prepare to confront the competition's three biggest forward set-ups in the space of three weeks, Swans coach Paul Roos has dismissed as "myth" the theory that his undersized defence will be exposed now that the business end of the season has arrived.
Wayne Carey's five-goal haul for Adelaide against the Swans last weekend fuelled speculation that this year's feel-good team have one significant chink in their armour: the lack of a key defender capable of standing the likes of Carey, Alastair Lynch or Anthony Rocca under big-game pressure.
It is a theory which will be immediately put to the test, with the Swans scheduled to run into Hawthorn's Jade Rawlings, Nick Holland and Nathan Thompson, Brisbane's Lynch and Jonathan Brown and Collingwood's Chris Tarrant, Rocca and Jarrod Molloy in successive games.
Although Roos concedes the club has been unable to find a like replacement for retired full-back Andrew Dunkley, he is standing by his mid-sized defensive trio of Jason Saddington, Andrew Schauble and Craig Bolton to handle any forward combination in the AFL.
Denis Pagan's theories on "gorilla" warfare notwithstanding, Roos said it was a myth that every team needed big, bulky defenders to handle the biggest opposition forwards.
"We would certainly love to have a huge, monster defender who can run and jump but it certainly hasn't been as big an issue to us as it is to other people," Roos said.
"I just think it is a bit of myth in footy. If you have got a good forward, he is going to kick goals on a big defender. Alastair Lynch is going to kick goals on the biggest defender going around.
"Down the other end Michael O'Loughlin manhandled Ben Hart a couple of times but I don't think anyone has written anything about that. It is something that people are always going to think, that the Swans don't have big defenders, and we are happy if other teams think that."
Roos said Carey's performance needed to be put in context.
"It is interesting people have made a lot out of Wayne. Wayne took a mark over the line, a mark on the centre and his other three goals were from crumbs. He is a terrific player but I don't think it is an area that we suffered in on the weekend."
After watching countless replays of Carey's contentious, goal-line mark, Roos remains convinced that it should not have been awarded. He called for the introduction of full-time, professional umpires to bring umpiring up to speed with the rest of the game.
The AFL begged to differ. After reviewing the Carey decision, director of umpiring Jeff Gieschen backed the judg ment of goal umpire Ante Perkovic's that a part of the ball was in the field of play when the mark was completed.
"Ante Perkovic was in a perfect position to make his decision and the umpire's view was that the whole of the ball had not crossed the line before Carey completed his mark," Gieschen said.
The AFL was the bearer of some good news for the Swans, with fill-in ruckman Lewis Robert-Thomson named as this week's AFL Rising Star.
Following a season-ending shoulder injury to Jason Ball, the 19-year-old rugby union convert was asked to share the rucking duties against Adelaide with Adam Goodes and ended up rucking the entire second half against Matthew Clarke and Rhett Biglands, arguably the best rucking combination in the competition.
