RODNEY Eade believes coach stability has been a key to sustained success by the Sydney Swans as he and his successor in the Harbour City, Paul Roos, set milestones this week.
The Western Bulldogs coach, who chalks up his 500th game as a senior player and coach when the Western Bulldogs play Essendon on Friday night, took the Swans to the 1996 grand final in his first year at the club.
He tallied 152 games in Sydney, before being replaced midway through 2002 by Roos, who will surpass Eade’s mark against Collingwood on Saturday.
"152 is not a very high number when you look at other clubs, coaches are near 250 and up towards 300," Eade said.
"Historically the Swans, whether it be Sydney or South Melbourne, have chopped and changed a fair bit and haven't had much stability.
"Hopefully I brought that and certainly Paul has as well.
"I think it proves that if a club is pretty stable and you give a coach a chance to develop some players, it can work for you."
While the legendary Ron Barassi held the Swans’ coaching reins from 1993-95, the club didn't make the finals during his tenure, and qualified just twice in their first 14 years in NSW before Eade took over.
"Over a period of time under Rocket (Eade) and under myself, the club has been pretty successful," Roos said on Thursday.
Eade guided the Swans to the finals five times in his six-and-a-half seasons.
The Swans have made the finals in each full season during Roos' tenure, winning the 2005 premiership and losing the grand final the following year by a point to the same opponent, the West Coast Eagles.
Prior to Eade's appointment the coaching record for the club was 111 games, one of the lowest in the league.
Eade will become just the 16th person in the competition's history to reach the 500-game player/coach landmark.
He played 259 games (229 for Hawthorn and 30 for Brisbane) and has added 88 games as Bulldogs coach since finishing with the Swans.
"Last week I levelled the record and this week I suspect I will break it, because I've got the total support of the board at the moment, unless something happens between now and Saturday," joked Roos, who earlier this year went past the 500 mark for combined senior playing and coaching games.
"It's something you sit down after your career has finished and you think about it then.
"But at the moment, I don't think (Collingwood coach) Mick Malthouse is too worried about giving me a present for the 153rd game."
