Swans have ground to make up: Roos - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Swans have ground to make up: Roos

By Adrian Warren 18/05/2010 07:23:12 AM Comments (0)

Sydney coach Paul Roos is more concerned about his team's ailing ground game than countering the aerial dominance of giant Fremantle ruckman Aaron Sandilands in Saturday's SCG AFL clash.

With his two senior ruckmen Mark Seaby (injury) and Shane Mumford (suspension) missing, Roos will rely on the inexperienced ruck division of Canadian Mike Pyke and youngster Jesse White, who are both well smaller than the 211-centimetre Sandilands.

Successive big losses to competition heavyweights Geelong and Western Bulldogs have pushed the Swans from first to sixth.

With other players missing through injury, especially fullback Craig Bolton, Roos reiterated the Swans couldn't compete with the better teams in the competition who he said were "too big, too strong" and had too much talent.

While aware of the task of trying to combat Sandilands with his inexperienced ruck duo, Roos was more worried about what happens when the ball falls to ground.

Renowned for their tenacity on the ball, Sydney have been lacking and second-best in that department over the last two weeks.

"Our contested possessions are well down," Roos told reporters on Monday.

"One thing we've really got to address this week is winning the 50-50 balls and getting more of the football, we are just not getting enough football.

"That's certainly an area of concern for us given we were so good at that in the first six weeks, in the last couple, we've dropped off significantly."

Roos said he expected his midfield division to bounce back this week and was sure they would have been disappointed with last week's effort against the Bulldogs.

The coach had a novel suggestion to counter the aerial supremacy of Sandilands, though it's doubtful the AFL would approve.

"Like lineouts in rugby where they lift the bloke up, I might get a couple of those rugby boys to come down on the weekend," Roos joked.

The long-serving coach, who is in his final season with Sydney, also jokingly dismissed rumours he might coach West Coast.

"They've got an outstanding coach, I think John (Worsfold) will be there as long as he wants to be there," Roos said.

"I've said a number of times this will be my last coaching gig unless there's an expansion team in Maui or Waikiki, there's probably a couple of areas I'd be interested, but it might be a fair way down the track.

"I think they (the AFL) probably want to get Gold Coast and Western Sydney right before they worry about the Maui Pina Coladas or whatever they are going to call them."

Roos attributed Fremantle's impressive rise this season to their athleticism, speed and fitness in addition to their growing maturity.

He thought full-forward Daniel Bradshaw was likely to return for the fixture at the SCG on Saturday and rated another forward, Ben McGlynn, a 50-50 chance of returning.

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