SYDNEY Swans coach Paul Roos is pleased with his side’sprogress this year in a season that looms as another ultra-competitive race forthe premiership dais.
As illustrated by their grinding round 11 win over Hawthorn,the Swans aren’t a side to shirk the issue when the going gets tough.
And that trait will come in handy, should the 2005 premiersbe round the mark again come the business end of the season.
Despite some viewing the Swans’ 2007 efforts to date assub-par, the coach knows his side is well-placed to make a run at the top fourin the second half of the season – the time of year they have played some oftheir best football in recent times.
“As the coach of this footy side you’d want to be 11-0 or10-1 or whatever,” Roos said.
“Then there’s the overview of the competition, when you’rethinking how even the competition is at the moment and you know you’re in themix at the half-way mark then you probably give yourselves a big tick.”
Roos said there was little use speculating about premiershipfavourites midway through the season.
“It’s funny, I think one thing that always surprises me iswhether it’s the first game of pre-season, the first round or round 11, everyonetends to focus on who’s going to win the premiership,” he said.
“I can assure you as a footy club – and I wouldn’t thinkthere’d be one coaching group in Australia that’d be saying ‘who’sgoing to win the premiership?’ – all we’re determining now is what team we’regoing to put on the field against Collingwood (in round 12).
“All I know is that the 11 weeks have told you that it’s avery even competition, it’s very reliant on getting your best 22 on the fieldevery single week and the team that wins the premiership, I would just aboutguarantee would just about have most of their best players playing well, andfit and ready to go come finals time.”
Roos, whose side sits among the pack with a 6-5 record, ishappy with his team’s performance despite a couple of missed opportunities tobe matching it with the ladder leaders.
And with stars such as Adam Goodes and Barry Hall yet to hitpeak form, there is plenty to like about the Swans’ chances later this year.
“We lost to West Coast by a point, lose to Essendon by apoint, but we are very much in the mix,” he said.
“I think what the first 11 weeks have shown is we’re notrelying on any one or two players.
“You know, Barry’s kicked less goals this year but we’restill six and five, I mean Goodesy hasn’t had as good a year this year as lastyear but we’re still six and five,” Roos said.
“So, that’s what we’ve tried to put out on the field everyweek - a team that doesn’t try to rely on any one or two players and once againwe’ve been able to do that in 2007.”
The Swans are now looking forward to freshening up thisweekend before their blockbuster round 12 clash with Collingwood at TelstraStadium on June 23.
