Soul-less Swans:view from Adelaide

[SWANSBEST]

[URL]http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,
Soul-less Swans begin new era
By MICHELANGELO RUCCI
12mar03
SYDNEY has lost its heart. No Paul Kelly, the soul of the Swans in the '90s. No Tony Lockett, who is definitely retired this time. No Andrew Dunkley in defence. No Wayne Schwass unleashing his grunt in the midfield. And Rodney Eade is no longer reinventing the game from the coach's bench.

"We are venturing into a new era at the club," says new Sydney captain Stuart Maxfield.

It will be one of significant substance given the new thinking ? built on meaningful thought ? from new coach Paul Roos, the interim coach kept with substantial public support last season when the Swans appeared to be preparing to be Terry Wallace's next project.

Roos is a realist ? a man who has put the long-term future of the Swans, a valuable franchise in the AFL's strategic planning, ahead of his own ambitions. He also intends to follow the Kevin Keegan coaching philosophy ? make sure the fans are always entertained.

"We are developing a young side, a side that will stumble and sometimes fall along the way, but all the while we'll be looking to play an exciting brand of footy, no matter what," says Roos.

"I've continued to reiterate along the way there won't be any miracles and it's important for everyone to understand where we are headed. I'm really urging everyone to be patient ? and enjoy the ride," adds the pragmatic Roos.

Perhaps the names on the Sydney list are not billboard material that was Kelly and Lockett ? and that is always a worry in a showbusiness town such as Sydney where sporting teams live and die by on-field success.

But Roos is determined to build a solid team which succeeds and builds loyalty from a Sydney public handing its hearts to the Swans rather than individuals.

Still, Sydney and Roos must rely on certain individuals to carry the Swans while the young players develop the club's future.

Midfielder Paul Williams can't do it all alone.

Barry Hall now has the goalfront to himself. He must kick goals ? and spend more time on the field rather than in the grandstands at the pleasure of the AFL tribunal.

Adam Goodes, Jared Crouch, Matthew Nicks, Jason Saddington and Michael O'Loughlin have done their apprenticeship and have to lead the club to its new era.

Jason Ball carries high expectations to lead the Sydney ruck unit in his comeback season after missing all of last year recuperating from surgery to stitch back the tendon which tore off his groin.

And Roos will hope he has no ugly duckling before he reveals the new Swans.

[ROK Lobster]

Interesting reading

[Ed_Gein]

Yeah, interesting article.

I think when Roos first signed on he had a 5 year plan to win us the flag. He done it in his 3rd and we are in a good position to go back to back in his 4th.

Can't argue with what he has done with the club. There is a lot of talk about the Swans that they don't get all the respect from the AFL in general, but i don't think that should worry us, or Roos.

I wonder if Roos has actually sat down and thought about what he said in that article in correlation as to where we are now as a club. I wonder if he has taken himself by surprise as to what he has achieved in such a short space of time.

[ROK Lobster]

I wonder when his thinking changed. What happened in 2003 that made him think that the fairly free flowing game plan that fell just short was not going to be enough, and developed into the 2004-06 model that has delivered a flag and might well bring another?

The following is thinking out loud: The way the Dogs are playing at the moment reminds me a lot of the way the Swans played in the season and a half post-Rocket. I wonder how much of the style of play that we saw after his departure was developed while he was at the club - not by him, but with him and the other coaches? Who was the mid field coach then? How much has Ross Lyons had to do with the current, more defensive style of midfield play? Had Rocket decided that the running game was not going to succeed with the slower, and probaby less skillful Sydney side, and given it its head with the Dogs stable of low draft picks. Did Roos/Sydney foresee in 2003 the high injury toll that such a style of play may bring. I wonder how much of the early, free flowing Roos game plan was inspired by Rocket, or how much of the Rocket Dogs plan was inspired by Roos in late 2002 and 2003. What ever it is, Roos has almost delivered the exact opposite of his intentions at the time of the article. Not that that is a problem - hindsight can be an entertaining thing. At least it is nice to know that someone, once, had faith in Saddo.

[Thunder Shaker]

Originally posted by Ed_Gein
I think when Roos first signed on he had a 5 year plan to win us the flag. He done it in his 3rd and we are in a good position to go back to back in his 4th.
We have red army and five year plan. Sounds like USSR.

[DST]

Originally posted by ROK Lobster
I wonder when his thinking changed. What happened in 2003 that made him think that the fairly free flowing game plan that fell just short was not going to be enough, and developed into the 2004-06 model that has delivered a flag and might well bring another?

The following is thinking out loud: The way the Dogs are playing at the moment reminds me a lot of the way the Swans played in the season and a half post-Rocket. I wonder how much of the style of play that we saw after his departure was developed while he was at the club - not by him, but with him and the other coaches? Who was the mid field coach then? How much has Ross Lyons had to do with the current, more defensive style of midfield play? Had Rocket decided that the running game was not going to succeed with the slower, and probaby less skillful Sydney side, and given it its head with the Dogs stable of low draft picks. Did Roos/Sydney foresee in 2003 the high injury toll that such a style of play may bring. I wonder how much of the early, free flowing Roos game plan was inspired by Rocket, or how much of the Rocket Dogs plan was inspired by Roos in late 2002 and 2003. What ever it is, Roos has almost delivered the exact opposite of his intentions at the time of the article. Not that that is a problem - hindsight can be an entertaining thing. At least it is nice to know that someone, once, had faith in Saddo.

At this stage Eade's job is safe and he can afford to let his team run off the leash.

Will be very interesting to see how he goes next year when the expectation of the Melbourne media (and the club) will be that the Dogs will be in a position to challange for the cup with a full list including Aker.

Just get the sneaky suspicion that Eade might revert back into his shell a little when the pressure is on and you might see a more traditonal defensive type of football from the dogs.

DST
:D