The Swans and their coach Paul Roos snapped the longest of droughts with Saturday's thrilling four-point victory over West Coast in the AFL grand final.

For the Swans it ended 72 years of heartache, both in their former incarnation as South Melbourne and as modern-day Sydney.

No club has waited longer between flags.

And for Roos it was a first premiership after 440 games as an alltime playing great with Fitzroy and Sydney and as the Swans coach.

No individual in the competition's 108-year history has participated in so many matches before enjoying the ultimate triumph.

"It's my greatest moment in football, no question, the only reason you play the game ... is to win premierships and that's the only reason I coach," he said.

"The only reason I took the job on for the Swans was to win a premiership."

Sydney had initially hoped that Terry Wallace would replace Rodney Eade as their coach for 2003.

But Roos made such an impression with the players and fans in 10 matches as a caretaker in the second half of 2002 that the club had little choice but to appoint him on a fulltime basis.

It has turned out to be an inspired decision.

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