Scintillating Swans: The Ultimate Season
Round 15 – The People’s Coach
Sydney v Richmond – Round 22, 2002

While the 2002 season was not one of the club’s most successful, it remains one of the most significant years in our history. Coach Rodney Eade entered the season in charge for the seventh year. He would resign and complete his tenure by June. His replacement would become our savior.

Current Sydney Swans Foundation CEO and 133-game, 10-year defender Brad Seymour recalls the events of that uncomfortable season vividly. “It was a tumultuous time at the club, but there aren’t too many clubs that are without those times.” He continues, “There had been numerous approaches from the players to the board, asking questions, because there were clearly communication breakdowns between senior coach and players. The board then saw fit to bring an interim coach in, which was Roosy, who was a breath of fresh air. He was arguably the complete antithesis of Rodney.”

Under the interim coach, our Swans entered this match having won 5 of the previous 9 matches and were looking to not only take valuable momentum into the off-season, but to also send off retiring champions Paul Kelly and Andrew Dunkley in style. In his autobiography, Here It Is, Roos explains how Kelly was quizzed during the week on whether or not he should be appointed as the new senior coach. Kelly sung his praises, but rumours were circling that ex-Bulldogs coach Terry Wallace had already been appointed behind closed doors. It was clear however, that players and members alike were gunning for Roos.

The significance of the match was not lost on the playing group and Seymour remembers the importance that they placed on winning. “That game against Richmond at ANZ Stadium, we were very confident that we would win because it was the last opportunity to send a couple of legends of the club out as winners, in Kel and Dunks.” He adds, “I guess that was the real changing of the guard and there needed to be change that needed to be driven by the new generation.”

That generation next would become renowned as the most honest, hardworking and disciplined group in football. Traits that Roos held in high regard and Seymour points to the need for a fresh approach. “There’d be no more Kel doing something miraculous, it was someone else’s turn. You can’t just kick it to Plugger all day, because he’s not there anymore either. Luckily, they had a few beginning to blossom at that particular time, none more so than the guy who wore number 37 on his back. He was a fair player,” Seymour laughs.

A stand out among the new crop was indeed a young Adam Goodes and Seymour remains an unabashed fan. “The best I’ve seen. I’ve been lucky to get a pretty close look at the way he could do things, play numerous positions, win Brownlows in numerous positions, he was just wow. We were very fortunate to have Adam play for us. He was just starting to go into about second gear at that stage of his career and of course the rest is history. What a great luxury for Roosy.”

Our boys prevailed that night to the tune of forty points and 40,000 of the Swans most faithful reveled in the chance to farewell two of our most loyal sons. Kelly, a ten-year captain, Brownlow medalist and Bloods legend, was one of the most respected and revered among the competition. Dunkley, standing the game’s premier full-forwards for over a decade was a defender of supreme endeavor and consistency.

In his autobiography, SwanSong, Kelly wrote of this match. “That night was amazing. My head was spinning from the time the siren went until I went down to the dressing room. I was battling to keep my emotions in check and to go out like that – at home - was just ideal. We had won the game and everyone was feeling good; we’d had a great finish to the season and the club was starting to head in the right direction.”

At the final siren and beyond, the spotlight shone on the retiring duo and Seymour remembers that poignant moment. “I do recall the outpouring of emotion at the end of that match. There was such happiness with winning first and foremost for Kel and Dunks and then to be there and watch them walk around and thank the crowd for the last time, there were mixed emotions because two of our great players were leaving.”

What happened next will go down in Swans folklore as the playing group went to Roos and began to chant his name in a show of support that screamed endorsement. Roos describes the moment as both surreal and moving, to experience and receive such a public display of affection from the group that he had quickly grown to love.

For Seymour, a part of that group, it marked a juncture. “Then Roosy came down and for whatever reason, the players sort of mobbed him. I think it was just an expression of the general feel of the place at that particular moment in time. We had a good win, celebrated accordingly and sent a couple of great players off and I guess the players could sense that we were looking forward to something new with Roosy. We were looking forward to a break and then we proved a few wrong the next year.”

At the time, culture was not a word commonly used within football clubs. However, Roos brought an innovative approach and a burning desire to build what is now arguably the most admired culture in Australian sport. A big part of that was empowering his players and Seymour pinpoints this as being exactly what was needed.  “Roosy clearly identified at that stage that there probably wasn’t a stand out leader of the club to replace Paul (Kelly).” He continues, “Therefore, a leadership group was put in place and an external group was brought in - Leading Teams. The unearthing of the leadership group idea, with Stuey Maxfield appointed captain, it was all just different, and a good different. There was a group at that time that was yearning for the responsibility to take the leadership of the team on. They wanted to make it their team and three years later they win a flag.”

Roosy. The right call.