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Spying mission
By TIM MORRISSEY
August 29, 2003
PAUL Roos plans to study the form of five of the Swans' seven potential first round finals opponents across two states this weekend.
In a whirlwind spying tour, the only two teams the Swans coach will not be running the rule over will be West Coast and Fremantle, who play their local derby the same time Sydney plays Melbourne at the MCG tomorrow.
"I would have gone to Perth if I could have squeezed it in," Roos said.
With only four points separating the teams from second to eighth, who plays who in the qualifying finals won't be know until the last round of the regular season wraps up on Sunday.
All that anyone can guarantee going into the last round of the home and away season is that Port Adelaide will finish on top this year.
The nail-bitting uncertainly has left Roos and his Swans coaching staff no choice but to try to cover all their bases and avoid an early exit in the finals after achieving so much in what was earmarked as a rebuilding year.
Roos and the rest of the Swans brainstrust, made up of Peter Jonas (defensive coach), John Longmire (forwards coach) and Steve Malaxos (midfield coach), will attend tonight's sellout Collingwood v Essendon blockbuster at the MCG which has the Magpies playing for second place and all its advantages.
The Bombers can still sneak into the top four and get a double chance if results fall their way.
Tomorrow, Roos will call the shots when Sydney take on Melbourne in a must-win game to keep their hopes of the double chance and top-four finish alive.
Then he will scout Brisbane when they play the Bulldogs at Telstra Dome tomorrow night.
On Sunday morning the Swans coaches ? minus Jonas who has to be in Canberra on Sunday for Sydney's reserves side ? depart for Adelaide to watch the local derby between the Power and the Crows.
While Roos has a busy weekend ahead, key Swans defender Tadhg Kennelly says the focus for the players is lifting their game intensity to playoff level and putting last Saturday's poor start behind them.
"[Collingwood] really put it up to us and stepped it up another gear you know," said Kennelly.
"It's good to have that happen to us two weeks before we play a final and not have it happen in the finals.
"We haven't been playing well in the first quarter at all in the past 5-6 weeks.
"It's something we are going to really work on this week and get out of the blocks nice and early and have a crack at Melbourne."
Kennelly will be playing in his 50th senior match which is a tribute to his perseverance and the club's faith that their Irish experiment would come good.
The 22-year-old joined Sydney in 2000 and was promoted from the Swans rookie list the following year.
"After the first couple of years there was no way thinking I'd be here playing 50 games," the former Gaelic football rising star said.
"I remember George Stone [now with Hawthorn] in my first year when he was my assistant coach and just watching games when I was playing reserves.
"He used to say to me 'you'll play league, you'll play league'.
"There was great belief in me from the whole club and that gives me the confidence to go out on the field and just show them I believe in them."
By TIM MORRISSEY
August 29, 2003
PAUL Roos plans to study the form of five of the Swans' seven potential first round finals opponents across two states this weekend.
In a whirlwind spying tour, the only two teams the Swans coach will not be running the rule over will be West Coast and Fremantle, who play their local derby the same time Sydney plays Melbourne at the MCG tomorrow.
"I would have gone to Perth if I could have squeezed it in," Roos said.
With only four points separating the teams from second to eighth, who plays who in the qualifying finals won't be know until the last round of the regular season wraps up on Sunday.
All that anyone can guarantee going into the last round of the home and away season is that Port Adelaide will finish on top this year.
The nail-bitting uncertainly has left Roos and his Swans coaching staff no choice but to try to cover all their bases and avoid an early exit in the finals after achieving so much in what was earmarked as a rebuilding year.
Roos and the rest of the Swans brainstrust, made up of Peter Jonas (defensive coach), John Longmire (forwards coach) and Steve Malaxos (midfield coach), will attend tonight's sellout Collingwood v Essendon blockbuster at the MCG which has the Magpies playing for second place and all its advantages.
The Bombers can still sneak into the top four and get a double chance if results fall their way.
Tomorrow, Roos will call the shots when Sydney take on Melbourne in a must-win game to keep their hopes of the double chance and top-four finish alive.
Then he will scout Brisbane when they play the Bulldogs at Telstra Dome tomorrow night.
On Sunday morning the Swans coaches ? minus Jonas who has to be in Canberra on Sunday for Sydney's reserves side ? depart for Adelaide to watch the local derby between the Power and the Crows.
While Roos has a busy weekend ahead, key Swans defender Tadhg Kennelly says the focus for the players is lifting their game intensity to playoff level and putting last Saturday's poor start behind them.
"[Collingwood] really put it up to us and stepped it up another gear you know," said Kennelly.
"It's good to have that happen to us two weeks before we play a final and not have it happen in the finals.
"We haven't been playing well in the first quarter at all in the past 5-6 weeks.
"It's something we are going to really work on this week and get out of the blocks nice and early and have a crack at Melbourne."
Kennelly will be playing in his 50th senior match which is a tribute to his perseverance and the club's faith that their Irish experiment would come good.
The 22-year-old joined Sydney in 2000 and was promoted from the Swans rookie list the following year.
"After the first couple of years there was no way thinking I'd be here playing 50 games," the former Gaelic football rising star said.
"I remember George Stone [now with Hawthorn] in my first year when he was my assistant coach and just watching games when I was playing reserves.
"He used to say to me 'you'll play league, you'll play league'.
"There was great belief in me from the whole club and that gives me the confidence to go out on the field and just show them I believe in them."
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