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Saddo's plan to revive career
By James MacSmith
April 18, 2004
The Sun-Herald
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Adam Goodes. Photo: Getty Images
Veteran Swan Jason Saddington openly admits his career is at the crossroads, and the club is hoping a move forward for the key position player can help transform him into the dominant player it needs him to be.
Football's lost soul is viewed as one of the players coach Paul Roos can build a premiership side around. At the start of last year, amid much fanfare, he was signed to Sydney until the end of 2006. But since then his career has stalled.
With 128 senior games under his belt at only 24, he is Sydney's fifth most experienced player behind Jared Crouch, Stuart Maxfield, Matthew Nicks and Michael O'Loughlin. But Saddington said he had been struggling for form since last season and hoped his new role as a utility would give his faltering form a new lease of life.
"I've been struggling down back, and not playing as well as I can or should, I have lost my way a bit," he said.
"I was feeling a bit stale and wasn't playing well last year. Things are different for me now, and I'm probably looking forward to the games a bit more.
"In previous years I haven't played forward at all. But it's a good opportunity to run around and chase the ball and not worry too much about where an opponent is."
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Roos said the experiment was inspired by the coaching staff's belief that Saddington was experiencing a flat spell in his career.
"With a lot of our players we're still learning a fair bit about them and their games," Roos said.
"[Adam] Goodes is another example, he's won a Brownlow Medal but we're still experimenting where he fits in and what his best position is. For some players the change can be a bit of a release. It can be satisfying doing something different. Saddo [Saddington] knows it will be different for him week to week, but I think he's finding it good to be hunting the ball."
The experiment began with the Swans' second round win over Fremantle and will continue in their clash with the Kangaroos at Manuka Oval in Canberra today.
Roos believes there are some promising signs so far that the move could add another dimension to the Swans' list.
"At the moment with Saddo we've got an opportunity to develop other areas he can handle. You can find forwards who have played forward for a couple of years enjoying going back and vice versa, playing the same position for a number of years can be draining.
"Look at Chad Cornes at Port Adelaide, he's moved back and he's playing very well. You always like to play players in different positions. But if a player is in scintillating form you don't like to move them.
"We like to play Goodes at centre half-back and at centre half-forward, but if he's playing well in the ruck you don't want to move him. Saddo is going through a flat spell, like all players do, and that makes it easier to make the decision. It was a case of OK, so he's not playing terribly well at centre half-back, so let's see how he goes up forward.
"If he can play up forward and go back as well that would be the ultimate. He needs to build his confidence up and that's been happening.
"He probably needs to take a good contested mark, be the third man in, that kind of thing. It would be better for the team if he can play there, and with the opportunities we've given him he's been very creative.
"It takes time to adjust but there are some good signs, some second efforts and some contested marks. We can certainly see that he's reacting well."
Saddington said he was unsure where his future lay, but was looking forward to the prospect of adding to his haul of 33 career goals.
"At the moment I'm just playing there to see what happens, to try things out. And in the long term who knows what might happen. But if things go well I might become a permanent forward, but if the team needs me to go down back again I will be happy to do so."
By James MacSmith
April 18, 2004
The Sun-Herald
Print this article
Email to a friend
Adam Goodes. Photo: Getty Images
Veteran Swan Jason Saddington openly admits his career is at the crossroads, and the club is hoping a move forward for the key position player can help transform him into the dominant player it needs him to be.
Football's lost soul is viewed as one of the players coach Paul Roos can build a premiership side around. At the start of last year, amid much fanfare, he was signed to Sydney until the end of 2006. But since then his career has stalled.
With 128 senior games under his belt at only 24, he is Sydney's fifth most experienced player behind Jared Crouch, Stuart Maxfield, Matthew Nicks and Michael O'Loughlin. But Saddington said he had been struggling for form since last season and hoped his new role as a utility would give his faltering form a new lease of life.
"I've been struggling down back, and not playing as well as I can or should, I have lost my way a bit," he said.
"I was feeling a bit stale and wasn't playing well last year. Things are different for me now, and I'm probably looking forward to the games a bit more.
"In previous years I haven't played forward at all. But it's a good opportunity to run around and chase the ball and not worry too much about where an opponent is."
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advertisement
Roos said the experiment was inspired by the coaching staff's belief that Saddington was experiencing a flat spell in his career.
"With a lot of our players we're still learning a fair bit about them and their games," Roos said.
"[Adam] Goodes is another example, he's won a Brownlow Medal but we're still experimenting where he fits in and what his best position is. For some players the change can be a bit of a release. It can be satisfying doing something different. Saddo [Saddington] knows it will be different for him week to week, but I think he's finding it good to be hunting the ball."
The experiment began with the Swans' second round win over Fremantle and will continue in their clash with the Kangaroos at Manuka Oval in Canberra today.
Roos believes there are some promising signs so far that the move could add another dimension to the Swans' list.
"At the moment with Saddo we've got an opportunity to develop other areas he can handle. You can find forwards who have played forward for a couple of years enjoying going back and vice versa, playing the same position for a number of years can be draining.
"Look at Chad Cornes at Port Adelaide, he's moved back and he's playing very well. You always like to play players in different positions. But if a player is in scintillating form you don't like to move them.
"We like to play Goodes at centre half-back and at centre half-forward, but if he's playing well in the ruck you don't want to move him. Saddo is going through a flat spell, like all players do, and that makes it easier to make the decision. It was a case of OK, so he's not playing terribly well at centre half-back, so let's see how he goes up forward.
"If he can play up forward and go back as well that would be the ultimate. He needs to build his confidence up and that's been happening.
"He probably needs to take a good contested mark, be the third man in, that kind of thing. It would be better for the team if he can play there, and with the opportunities we've given him he's been very creative.
"It takes time to adjust but there are some good signs, some second efforts and some contested marks. We can certainly see that he's reacting well."
Saddington said he was unsure where his future lay, but was looking forward to the prospect of adding to his haul of 33 career goals.
"At the moment I'm just playing there to see what happens, to try things out. And in the long term who knows what might happen. But if things go well I might become a permanent forward, but if the team needs me to go down back again I will be happy to do so."
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