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Roos' remedy recipe is meat and potatoes
By Jessica Halloran
May 20, 2004
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There will be no dimming the lights and thinking about which teammate they would go to war with, as the Kangaroos did just moments before taking the field. Nor will Sydney carry out a "thousand steps" uphill exercise like Hawthorn's players and coaches did a week ago.
No, it is all "meat and potatoes" football for Swans coach Paul Roos.
While Hawthorn found a win after their six-game losing streak and the Kangaroos also had something to celebrate last weekend - trouncing Port Adelaide after losing four in a row - the Swans won't be going on any "fancy camp" to find a victory after their four straight losses.
"I think that's great [preparation] because both teams won," Roos said. "But I think if you are relying on that you are always going to be an up-and-down team. That's probably what we are trying not to be.
"The thing that strikes me about the Brisbane Lions - they've got talent, don't get me wrong, they are the most talented team in the competition - but there's no fancy gadgets, there's no motivational speeches, and there's no going on fancy camps, all these sorts of things.
"Aside from 15 Brownlow medals hanging around their necks, generally speaking they are a meat-and-potatoes team, they know what they are all about and they just keep doing it . . . the other things have their places at certain times but you can only pull so many rabbits out of a hat."
With a knee injury to Sydney's only Brownlow medallist - Adam Goodes, whose availability will be determined today - and ball winners off their best form, as midfielder Jude Bolton admits he is, things are not swinging the Swans' way. Bolton plays his 100th game this weekend against Hawthorn at the SCG but his possession rate is down on last year's figure and his confidence has dropped off.
"I've definitely slipped back quite a lot, [I've] just been sitting down with the coaching group and working out where I can improve and get back to where I was last year," Bolton said.
Things have been tough for the players, and at times the Swans coach has himself felt "helpless".
"Eventually you hope the players work it out themselves; you can only give them so much help," Roos said. "[At] times like this as a coach you feel a bit helpless because you know the reasons you are losing - at some stage it's up to the players to resurrect their form.
"I think Jude is a classic one. He's a very honest kid; that's where you have faith in the players because they are very honest. Jude's assessment is pretty spot-on. I'm confident he can work his way out of it - at some point the coaches really can't help you."
Roos said the "whole system" at the Swans was based on players taking responsibility, and now was a good time for the group to try to rectify problems.
"You know, it's a good test for the player group . . . part of the leadership system I guess is the responsibility that comes with it. Eventually I guess you've got to put your hand up if you want to be part of it.
"At some point there is teaching and there is learning. We can teach as much as we can but at some point if they're not learning, well, we are wasting our teaching.
"The point now we are at . . . the players really need to take responsibility. I think we know why we are losing, that's one thing. I think rectifying it is another thing."
By Jessica Halloran
May 20, 2004
Page Tools
Email to a friend Printer format
There will be no dimming the lights and thinking about which teammate they would go to war with, as the Kangaroos did just moments before taking the field. Nor will Sydney carry out a "thousand steps" uphill exercise like Hawthorn's players and coaches did a week ago.
No, it is all "meat and potatoes" football for Swans coach Paul Roos.
While Hawthorn found a win after their six-game losing streak and the Kangaroos also had something to celebrate last weekend - trouncing Port Adelaide after losing four in a row - the Swans won't be going on any "fancy camp" to find a victory after their four straight losses.
"I think that's great [preparation] because both teams won," Roos said. "But I think if you are relying on that you are always going to be an up-and-down team. That's probably what we are trying not to be.
"The thing that strikes me about the Brisbane Lions - they've got talent, don't get me wrong, they are the most talented team in the competition - but there's no fancy gadgets, there's no motivational speeches, and there's no going on fancy camps, all these sorts of things.
"Aside from 15 Brownlow medals hanging around their necks, generally speaking they are a meat-and-potatoes team, they know what they are all about and they just keep doing it . . . the other things have their places at certain times but you can only pull so many rabbits out of a hat."
With a knee injury to Sydney's only Brownlow medallist - Adam Goodes, whose availability will be determined today - and ball winners off their best form, as midfielder Jude Bolton admits he is, things are not swinging the Swans' way. Bolton plays his 100th game this weekend against Hawthorn at the SCG but his possession rate is down on last year's figure and his confidence has dropped off.
"I've definitely slipped back quite a lot, [I've] just been sitting down with the coaching group and working out where I can improve and get back to where I was last year," Bolton said.
Things have been tough for the players, and at times the Swans coach has himself felt "helpless".
"Eventually you hope the players work it out themselves; you can only give them so much help," Roos said. "[At] times like this as a coach you feel a bit helpless because you know the reasons you are losing - at some stage it's up to the players to resurrect their form.
"I think Jude is a classic one. He's a very honest kid; that's where you have faith in the players because they are very honest. Jude's assessment is pretty spot-on. I'm confident he can work his way out of it - at some point the coaches really can't help you."
Roos said the "whole system" at the Swans was based on players taking responsibility, and now was a good time for the group to try to rectify problems.
"You know, it's a good test for the player group . . . part of the leadership system I guess is the responsibility that comes with it. Eventually I guess you've got to put your hand up if you want to be part of it.
"At some point there is teaching and there is learning. We can teach as much as we can but at some point if they're not learning, well, we are wasting our teaching.
"The point now we are at . . . the players really need to take responsibility. I think we know why we are losing, that's one thing. I think rectifying it is another thing."
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