Longmire - I'm not Paul Roos

[ugg]

No free kick

PAUL Roos describes John Longmire as his ''great mate''. A fiercely proud man, he would have been disappointed with the dynasty he has helped create if the Swans had been forced to search outside his inner coaching sanctum to replace him. But as to the impression he anointed his own successor, Roos insists he had nothing to do with it. And he certainly didn't sacrifice his final year as Sydney's senior coach to keep Longmire.
''I didn't do this for John,'' said Roos on the eve of his final season at the helm of the Swans. ''I'm a nice bloke but I'm not that nice a bloke. I did this for me.

[ShockOfHair]

It's raining Roos news. This story also by Caro says he'll take on a development role at the end of the season.
Roos to lead Swans defence against GWS challenge

But that wasn't the most interesting part of the story (at least, not for me).
- The Swans are fuming at the NSW AFL because we've been pushing for years for development coaches. Now with the GWS on the scene they've hired Kelly, Saddo and Mickey O.

- David Leckie, the boss of Seven, ripped into the league at a dinner last month because of its treatment of the Swans. Apparently they dumped a Syd-Carlton Friday night game in favour of a Fevmania match at the Gabba. Flies in the face of the conventional wisdom about the Swans being box office poison. If anyone should know the value of the Swans, it's Leckie.

The Swans vs AFL/GWS saga is going to run for the next ten years. In that light, it's great that Roos is sticking around.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

So Longmire isn't Roos, White isn't Hall and Bradshaw isn't Hall. Anything else?

[ScottH]

So Longmire isn't Roos, White isn't Hall and Bradshaw isn't Hall. Anything else?

Who's on first.

[Matty10]

So Longmire isn't Roos, White isn't Hall and Bradshaw isn't Hall. Anything else?

...maybe they should all start wearing name tags to alleviate the confusion.


Caroline Wilson's article sounds like there is some sort of all-out-war going on in Sydney. The story is too much of a beat-up to be taken seriously, but, I suppose any news is good news if it forces attention onto something that desperately needs attention.

Would it really be a surprise (or annoyance) to anyone that the AFL is giving "unprecedented" support to GWS - surely they would need a level of AFL help never before seen in the Sydney market if they are to have any hope of success. That does not mean that the Swans should be dismissed (as there is a common cause to some extent), but at this stage of the GWS development who gives a stuff.

[Mr Magoo]

...maybe they should all start wearing name tags to alleviate the confusion.


Caroline Wilson's article sounds like there is some sort of all-out-war going on in Sydney. The story is too much of a beat-up to be taken seriously, but, I suppose any news is good news if it forces attention onto something that desperately needs attention.

Would it really be a surprise (or annoyance) to anyone that the AFL is giving "unprecedented" support to GWS - surely they would need a level of AFL help never before seen in the Sydney market if they are to have any hope of success. That does not mean that the Swans should be dismissed (as there is a common cause to some extent), but at this stage of the GWS development who gives a stuff.

I think the point that seems to be missed by the AFL and melbourne AFL amangement and media people generally is that if they were serious about expanding the game in Western Sydney, they could have and should have been providing the backing to the swans for junior development in this region for the last ten or fifteen years , that they are now seemingly providing without question to a team that still doesnt exist and had no "good will" or true support base behind it. The planning still reeks of an arrogance that if the put the game their they will come as from the melbourne centric executive viewpoint of "why wouldnt they like it , its AFL".

[Jeffers1984]

Horse - I'm not a pornstar.

[Xie Shan]

And Roos would add to that legacy in that he has perhaps chosen exactly the right time to depart. ''I'm walking away for myself,'' he insisted, ''but a bit for all of us.''

So, Rokster... do you still think Roos is arrogant and self-absorbed??? *removes tongue from cheek*

Pretty good article, though. One of Caro's better ones about the Swans, and she doesn't get to write about us much. I think they are both fiercely proud in that they care about what they do, maybe a little bit arrogant (only as much as you need to be to succeed in this business) but that generally speaking, they know what they are doing...