Tweet
On hiding to nothing, Roos gets through
By Jenny McAsey
March 27, 2004
PAUL ROOS clearly remembers the moment when he saw his fledgling coaching career flash before his eyes.
Just five games into last season, Sydney had lost three consecutive matches and, 20 points down to Melbourne at three-quarter time in their Anzac Day game, were staring at a fourth.
"I can certainly remember a fair bit about walking down the stairs and thinking 'geez, we are 20 points down, we play Collingwood and Brisbane in the next two weeks; we could be one (win) and six (losses) in two weeks'," Roos said.
As he ran on to the SCG to address the players, Roos made a decision that was, in hindsight, pivotal to the Swans' season.
"I said 'look guys, if we are going to lose, let's get belted. Let's have a go, we are not going anywhere at the moment'."
In the next 30 minutes, the players threw away their fear of losing, booting 10 goals to swamp the Demons. They went on to beat Collingwood and Brisbane and set up their surprise march to the finals.
"You are always reluctant to put it down to that ... but maybe they are the moments that become important moments in a season and it is how you respond to them," Roos said yesterday.
"People tend to think we didn't go through any bad times. They look at the year and say it was a honeymoon year, but at round four I can assure you it wasn't a honeymoon. It wasn't all beer and skittles."
It was the way the rookie coach dealt with challenges that mattered.
While most coaches would have hit the huddle at three-quarter time and sprayed saliva, Roos' measured, almost humorous response was typical of a man whose temperature never appears to reach boiling point.
His hair didn't turn grey and the only thing he abused last year was a water bottle which he continually tapped on the table in the coach's box.
"I'm surprised I haven't got a sponsor for the water bottle," he joked. He coaches as he played. His former team-mate and Brisbane spearhead Alastair Lynch has told of the day Roos, as captain of Fitzroy, led the team through the banner, tripped and fell face down in the mud. According to Lynch, Roos rolled over on to his back and laughed his head off.
Burly Sydney full-forward Barry Hall said Roos' relaxed nature got the best out of people.
"He gets frustrated with the way we play sometimes, but never really angry," Hall said. "And it only lasts a minute or so and then he calms down and gets his thoughts back together.
"Last year I thought maybe if we lost a couple on the trot he'd change but when that happened he stuck to his guns and didn't change at all."
This week, as Roos reflected on what went right last year, he said the most important lesson was not to waver under pressure.
"When I'm evaluating myself from last year, I can say 'be strong and if you are going to fall, go down swinging'.
"The good thing to come out of 2003 is that we know as a club how we win footy games," he said.
"It is not easy to do it but we know how to. I'm not suggesting that we as a coaching group have re-invented coaching or anything like that.
"We had some success in the first year so the players are confident in themselves, confident about the way we play.
"I think going into this year the biggest concern is that if we do go through a losing streak, is not to waver, not to jump around and to suddenly change the game plan dramatically.
"We'll modify it and tweak it, but if it doesn't work in the first three games, don't change."
Roos said Hawthorn coach Peter Schwab, who came under fire in 2003, had been a shining example.
"I learnt a lot from the way Schwaby handled it last year," he said.
"He was saying 'well this is the way that I'm going to do it and if it doesn't work at the end of the year I'll get sacked and I'll move on'.
"I thought that was really brave. The tendency has always been in coaching to say if it doesn't work, I better change it because I better save my job. You end up losing your job anyway because the players get confused."
Armed with that resolve, Roos intends to stick to his long-term plan to rebuild the Swans with young players such as Adam Schneider and Lewis Roberts-Thomson, who shot to prominence in 2003.
While expectations may have been raised after last year's third placing, Roos believes it has bought the club more time.
"One thing that is more difficult in Sydney than anywhere else is that we can't afford to have two or three bad years.
"We generated marketing and membership last year and reinvigorated the club. It has taken the pressure off us this year, so if we do have a down year, which is possible, it is not two in a row."
While the talent level in the Swans improved with the development of top-flight players such as Adam Goodes and Hall, Roos said the team were still a fair way from where he wanted.
"Even though we made the preliminary final last year, we were beaten 12 scoring shots to one in the last quarter."
So the song remains the same. They still need more depth in the midfield, a big key forward/defender and for ruckmen Jason Ball and Stephen Doyle to be fit.
After drafting youngsters for the past two years, Roos said they would go all out to get a "gun midfielder or key position player" during the trade period at the end of the season.
In the meantime, success will chiefly be measured on the progress of the team's youngsters.
"What you are trying to ultimately do is get a team that can win a premiership," Roos said.
"In terms of ladder position, it will be hard to top what we did last year, so you have to remove yourself from that.
"This week is a good start; we are playing Jarrad McVeigh and Paul Bevan, who are first-gamers and that is still critical to our platform.
"Regardless of the result against Brisbane - and obviously we are going up there trying to win - we are starting off on the right foot, sending the right message again."
By Jenny McAsey
March 27, 2004
PAUL ROOS clearly remembers the moment when he saw his fledgling coaching career flash before his eyes.
Just five games into last season, Sydney had lost three consecutive matches and, 20 points down to Melbourne at three-quarter time in their Anzac Day game, were staring at a fourth.
"I can certainly remember a fair bit about walking down the stairs and thinking 'geez, we are 20 points down, we play Collingwood and Brisbane in the next two weeks; we could be one (win) and six (losses) in two weeks'," Roos said.
As he ran on to the SCG to address the players, Roos made a decision that was, in hindsight, pivotal to the Swans' season.
"I said 'look guys, if we are going to lose, let's get belted. Let's have a go, we are not going anywhere at the moment'."
In the next 30 minutes, the players threw away their fear of losing, booting 10 goals to swamp the Demons. They went on to beat Collingwood and Brisbane and set up their surprise march to the finals.
"You are always reluctant to put it down to that ... but maybe they are the moments that become important moments in a season and it is how you respond to them," Roos said yesterday.
"People tend to think we didn't go through any bad times. They look at the year and say it was a honeymoon year, but at round four I can assure you it wasn't a honeymoon. It wasn't all beer and skittles."
It was the way the rookie coach dealt with challenges that mattered.
While most coaches would have hit the huddle at three-quarter time and sprayed saliva, Roos' measured, almost humorous response was typical of a man whose temperature never appears to reach boiling point.
His hair didn't turn grey and the only thing he abused last year was a water bottle which he continually tapped on the table in the coach's box.
"I'm surprised I haven't got a sponsor for the water bottle," he joked. He coaches as he played. His former team-mate and Brisbane spearhead Alastair Lynch has told of the day Roos, as captain of Fitzroy, led the team through the banner, tripped and fell face down in the mud. According to Lynch, Roos rolled over on to his back and laughed his head off.
Burly Sydney full-forward Barry Hall said Roos' relaxed nature got the best out of people.
"He gets frustrated with the way we play sometimes, but never really angry," Hall said. "And it only lasts a minute or so and then he calms down and gets his thoughts back together.
"Last year I thought maybe if we lost a couple on the trot he'd change but when that happened he stuck to his guns and didn't change at all."
This week, as Roos reflected on what went right last year, he said the most important lesson was not to waver under pressure.
"When I'm evaluating myself from last year, I can say 'be strong and if you are going to fall, go down swinging'.
"The good thing to come out of 2003 is that we know as a club how we win footy games," he said.
"It is not easy to do it but we know how to. I'm not suggesting that we as a coaching group have re-invented coaching or anything like that.
"We had some success in the first year so the players are confident in themselves, confident about the way we play.
"I think going into this year the biggest concern is that if we do go through a losing streak, is not to waver, not to jump around and to suddenly change the game plan dramatically.
"We'll modify it and tweak it, but if it doesn't work in the first three games, don't change."
Roos said Hawthorn coach Peter Schwab, who came under fire in 2003, had been a shining example.
"I learnt a lot from the way Schwaby handled it last year," he said.
"He was saying 'well this is the way that I'm going to do it and if it doesn't work at the end of the year I'll get sacked and I'll move on'.
"I thought that was really brave. The tendency has always been in coaching to say if it doesn't work, I better change it because I better save my job. You end up losing your job anyway because the players get confused."
Armed with that resolve, Roos intends to stick to his long-term plan to rebuild the Swans with young players such as Adam Schneider and Lewis Roberts-Thomson, who shot to prominence in 2003.
While expectations may have been raised after last year's third placing, Roos believes it has bought the club more time.
"One thing that is more difficult in Sydney than anywhere else is that we can't afford to have two or three bad years.
"We generated marketing and membership last year and reinvigorated the club. It has taken the pressure off us this year, so if we do have a down year, which is possible, it is not two in a row."
While the talent level in the Swans improved with the development of top-flight players such as Adam Goodes and Hall, Roos said the team were still a fair way from where he wanted.
"Even though we made the preliminary final last year, we were beaten 12 scoring shots to one in the last quarter."
So the song remains the same. They still need more depth in the midfield, a big key forward/defender and for ruckmen Jason Ball and Stephen Doyle to be fit.
After drafting youngsters for the past two years, Roos said they would go all out to get a "gun midfielder or key position player" during the trade period at the end of the season.
In the meantime, success will chiefly be measured on the progress of the team's youngsters.
"What you are trying to ultimately do is get a team that can win a premiership," Roos said.
"In terms of ladder position, it will be hard to top what we did last year, so you have to remove yourself from that.
"This week is a good start; we are playing Jarrad McVeigh and Paul Bevan, who are first-gamers and that is still critical to our platform.
"Regardless of the result against Brisbane - and obviously we are going up there trying to win - we are starting off on the right foot, sending the right message again."
Comment