For most of this decade, the club has fielded an established core of senior players meaning chances have been relatively scarce for rising youngsters.
But with the likes of Peter Everitt, Nic Fosdike, Tadhg Kennelly and Ben Mathews moving on, the chances to impress for senior selection are now there and, says Roos, need to be taken.
“A lot of our guys have… trained very well throughout the break, but now the season starts and they’ve got to translate that improvement in their training to improvement in their footy,” he said.
Nick Smith (two matches), Ryan Brabazon (one), Matthew Laidlaw (one) and Jesse White (two) are some of the young guns who are expected to have their first chance to impress when the Swans take on Port Adelaide in the NAB Cup at Manuka Oval on Sunday.
Roos said they were “jumping out of their skin” at the prospect of finally taking the field in a competitive hit-out.
“At the end of the game, hopefully we’ll be able to sit back and say ‘Gee, he did a really good job and put his hand up for a spot’.
“In pre-season, sometimes they find themselves in round one because they’ve played so well and that’s what you want to happen from this weekend on.”
At the other end of the age spectrum, Roos said veterans Michael O’Loughlin (ankle surgery) and Leo Barry (knee surgery) were expected to return in the early weeks of the premiership season.
O’Loughlin has resumed running at training and Roos said he was some chance of playing in round one, although a later start was more likely.
“It depends on how quickly he comes to hand with his running and how soon he’s able to join in, but he’ll be touch and go for round one,” he said.
Barry, who has been placed on the long-term injury list, was targeting a return in round four or five but the club will not rush him back into the side.
“He may come back and play a couple of games in the seconds, because we’d rather get 15 good games out of him rather than 18, where four or five are ordinary because he’s getting back into some fitness,” Roos said.
