Roos meets coaches from other codes

[Troy G]

So I repeat ..I wonder if Roos caught up with the Chicago Swans when he met up with the Chicago Bulls coach?

[Diego]

This method has helped great coaches throughout time.

Parkin, Sheedy all used other codes to seek that extra edge and it worked for them.

Hopefully the same happens with the swans.

[robbieando]

I hope Roos didn't speak to the current coach of the Bulls who in fact is a guy by the name of Bill Cartwright because the Bulls haven't had a winning season since Jordan left. In fact they have been the worst side in the NBA for a few years now. Not a good idea.

[Ajn]

Roos is one of the few footballers in the last 20 years who has actually got some intellegence that is not just football experience related. He will transform this side into Premiership material, by not just sticking to the tried and tested formulas. Stay tuned to be impressed! (Hope I don't sound too one eyed?)

[robbieando]

I think so too ajn, but the one thing that must be given to him to make this happen is time. We all must give him time because he won't make us a premiership team in just 12 months (though I hope he does). Don't expect too must for this season I don't - It's 2004 and 2005 that we should expect something

[desredandwhite]

I beg to differ, Robbie. We should expect continual improvement and a definite brushing up of skills, concentration etc.

We should also expect to see the younger kids being tested in the bigtime.

I agree though that we shouldn't expect BIG THINGS from the side in 2003.

[bricon]

All teams must continually improve merely to maintain the status quo. Pro football develops <b>so</b> rapidly in speed, intensity and pressure, sometimes there is a lag in skills improvement but eventually even the overall skills area improves to match the other gains. Middle to lower ranked sides (like us) are really looking for a quantum leap rather than gradual improvement, sometimes you have to go sideways (or even backwards) before you can set yourself up for a (relatively) huge improvement. I think that the Swans are going about things the right way to achieve the quantum leap in performance that is needed to achieve success ? finishing regularly in the top 4.

Roos seems to be placing a great deal of emphasis on fitness, promoting youth and more accountability from our middle ranked players ? all of these aspects bode well for the club. We were patently unfit last season (unable to run out matches); kids were dragged if they made a single error (the lack of game time allotted to the novices was appalling) and mid-ranked players were allowed to get away with murder under our previous coach, there was a vast improvement in the consistency of this group the moment Roos took over.

The riskier part of this plan is of course sticking with the kids, who <b>will</b> have shockers from time to time and these shockers may even cost us a game occasionally, however we really need to get 20 ? 30 matches into our key (5 or 6) key younger players; <b>meaningful</b> match time not 10 minutes worth off-the-bench as we have done in recent years. This group will only start to become consistent AFL standard players <b>after</b> that amount of match time, only then will we be in a position to make that ?quantum leap?. We really need to have 12 or 15 players on the list who are under 23 <b>and</b> have more than 50 AFL matches under their belts.

Of course there are many variables that we cannot foresee at this stage, injuries and unexpected standouts (Nick Davis turning out to be a superstar overnight, Tadhg Kennelly to have a Brownlow Medal winning year etc). A good run with injuries, unexpected pleasures, a run of good luck with close results and so on should be viewed as a bonus by us fans and if they occur should not cloud our judgment about what is really required.

I?m prepared to cop the pain if I can see the gain.

[robbieando]

Des what you say is correct, we should expect improvement of the younger players but what I was saying was don't expect us to be a top 4 side this season. Don't expect much in match results and ladder positions - but expect player improvement by all means

[chammond]

We really need to have 12 or 15 players on the list who are under 23 and have more than 50 AFL matches under their belts.

Sorry Bricon, I followed everything you wrote . . . . up to this point.

How will the Swans be any better off if they meet this criterion?

[bricon]

<b>chammond:</b> Sorry if I was rather abstract!
If we are to achieve a quantum leap in improvement ? given that the old ?Carlton Option? is no longer a viable alternative ? we need to have a young(ish) list that is also experienced. The (ideal) long term plan should be to have 3 or 4 ?development? players who can slot into a youthful but experienced side, at the moment we have a lot of good potential (inexperienced kids), an under performing middle group and an aging group of seniors.

We need to get as much experience into the current (too large) group of novice players as possible, these will become our middle group in 2-3 years time and will need at least 50 games each before they become consistent AFL standard players; this group will provide the springboard for any ?quantum leap?. Unfortunately the previous coaching staff has left us with a <b>huge</b> hole with this group of players (who are in fact the future of the club). The neglect of this group in the last few years needs to be addressed; this cannot be achieved overnight. It will take 2-3 years to get this group experienced enough to take the next step; there?s no quick fix available.

Our development group of players will be too large over the next season or so to allow us to be truly competitive - <b>that?s</b> Eade?s legacy. We need to fix the problem, once fixed we?ll need to rigidly stick by a development programme that sees 3 or 4 young players are always being blooded for senior footy.

?Rebuilding? is another term for ?Poor (football) Management?.

[chammond]

?Rebuilding? is another term for ?Poor (football) Management?.

Too true!

Unfortunately, it can also be a euphemism for "desperate measures" or possibly "something to do because we haven't really got a clue".

Hopefully, in three years we'll all look back and know it was actually part of a brilliant master plan!

[Guest]

Originally posted by chammond

Hopefully, in three years we'll all look back and know it was actually part of a brilliant master plan!

Roos is the Baldrick of Blackadder. "Sir, I have a cunning plan!"

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by Mr_Juicy
Roos is the Baldrick of Blackadder. "Sir, I have a cunning plan!"

I hope Roos is a better coach than Baldrick is cook!!

Hmmm... rat au vin...