PAUL Roos is a great of the game. Given he sits 10^th on the list for the most games played/coached in VFL/AFL history, there is no denying Roos’ stature in the game. Arriving at Melbourne after its fifth worst season in VFL/AFL history, Roos improved the club in his three years and took the club to the cusp of the eight. In the process, Roos helped Melbourne find his successor, Simon Goodwin, who has taken the baton and run with it this season. Roos’ ability to help set a foundation for the club was significant and now he is watching Melbourne as commentator – and supporter in 2017. He caught up with Matt Burgan in the lead-up to the Melbourne and Sydney Swans clash at the MCG on Friday night – two clubs where Roos made a significant impact …


Former Melbourne coach Paul Roos at his home in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs. (Photo: Matthew Goodrope)

Watching Melbourne from the ‘outside’

PAUL Roos coached Melbourne to four wins (2014), seven (2015) and 10 (2016) – all big strides, given the club won just two games in 2013.

Now, Simon Goodwin has transitioned almost seamlessly, having guided the team to eight wins entering round 15. The Demons are also sitting fifth on the ladder – a position that has been unfamiliar in the past decade.

Despite, being on the outside watching in, Roos said it was great to see the club flourishing this year.  

“It’s great. It’s funny being a supporter. People ask me – which surprises me a bit – ‘do you follow the Dees?’ [I say] ‘of course I do’,” he told melbournefc.com.au.

“On a day off, I went to the Melbourne/Freo game and I’ve been fortunate that Melbourne has played a few Sunday games, so with my work on Triple M – the 3.20pm game I’ve watched them a fair bit this year.  

“It’s been great. The excitement of the club at a Melbourne function the other week and just the excitement around the club and watching the team play – it’s very exciting.”

Commentating on Melbourne games

Roos said he had no problems commentating on Melbourne matches.

He said there was a balance in certain situations, but otherwise he calls it as he sees it.

“The guys that I commentate with know that I want Melbourne to win, but you try to be unbiased and you try and deliver the story, so you try and take yourself away a little bit, whenever you’re commentating and who’s playing,” he said.

“The other thing you’ve got to be a bit careful of – because I know the Melbourne players really, really well – is that you don’t want to give out information that’s confidential information.

“You might’ve had a conversation or something around the way they play, so there is a bit of balance, but it’s not too bad.”

Players to have caught the eye

Roos has been particularly impressed with Melbourne’s recruits in 2017.

“The experienced guys coming in have been really, really pivotal. Michael Hibberd has been unbelievable. He’s just been extraordinary. I think we knew what Jordan [Lewis] was going to bring – a wealth of experience and the key moments in games, which have been really important.”

“I think Jakey Melksham is really starting to find his feet now, which is great. I think those three experienced guys have added enormously to the team.

“Mitchy Hannan has been [very good too], so I’ve started with the guys that I didn’t know much about, because they weren’t at the club last year. He’s been terrific for them as well.”

Roos said he wasn’t surprised by the continual development of several youngsters this year.

“Clayton Oliver has been great and Jayden Hunt has been fantastic. I’ve liked the way Oscar McDonald [has played] particularly the past three weeks – he’s really started to find his feet,” he said.

“They probably haven’t surprised me as much, because I had a lot to do with them and saw their development last year. But it’s good to see some of those other guys coming in.

“The depth on the list now – and what Todd [Viney] and Jason [Taylor] have done has been fantastic. We’ve suffered a lot of injuries, but we’ve been able to cover those injuries with some of those key guys.”

Watching the coach evolve

Roos said it had been exciting watching Goodwin grow as a coach this year.

“He did a lot of stuff last year and that was really a key component of the succession plan with Josh [Mahoney], myself and Peter Jackson,” he said.

“I think giving him an opportunity to coach – he did a great job in last year’s pre-season, a great job with the game plan and taking training. I think for Simon, it’s just [about] the next step up – not so much his footy stuff, because he’s fantastic at that – and he had a great opportunity to develop it last year.

“It’s more now about the man-management side of it – understanding how the medical staff fit in with the fitness staff, the media and those things. The game day stuff, I reckon he could do with his eyes closed, with all due respect, and he’s got a great coaching group around him.”

Roos said he was rapt to see the assistant coaches, who he worked with from the start, starting to reap the rewards.

“I had a lot to do with Benny Mathews as a player and Jade [Rawlings] has been terrific and has been there since the day I got there, so it’s fantastic to see,” he said.

“He’d already built really strong relationships with the players, which is such a key to being a great coach now. He’s a very behavioural-based coach and he certainly knows exactly what he expects of the players.”

Keeping in contact with players

Roos said the relationship he now had with his players was about friendship – rather than being the coach.

“[Now] it’s more [about them] coming over for dinner or ringing them or catching up for coffee,” he said.

“I’m mindful of not overstepping the mark, in terms of the footy stuff, so it’s more social. I have a game of golf with Bernie [Vince] and he’d be happy for me to say that he [recently] had a 77 – five over. I only played nine [holes] with him. He was par going down the last and he lost the ball and still had two over, so well done Bern!

“I don’t overstep the mark. I’m not a footy coach now – I’m a supporter, but I still love the players and any chance I get to text them or try and keep in contact in a small way [I do].”


Paul Roos speaks to melbournefc.com.au at his home. (Photo: Matthew Goodrope)

Do you miss being a senior coach?

Roos said he was content with stepping away from coaching, adding that he had no regrets.

“In an overall sense, no [I don’t miss it]. But when you see the team winning, the things that you can’t replace are the moments after the game, when everyone’s won,” he said.

“One of the things that I just love when a team goes through such hard times is the smiles on everyone’s face after a win, [particularly] that first win we had against Carlton, back in 2014 and the Hawthorn win last year.”

Roos said wins tasted far much better, having gone through tough times.

“Even [seeing] the directors – you can see that everyone is enjoying it. I think they enjoy it more when you’ve gone through tough times – there’s no doubt about it,” he said.

“To see the players’ faces – I didn’t get to see all of the West Coast game, as I was doing the Bulldogs/Kangas game – but to see the siren go and Tommy McDonald kick the winning goal and the players and staff [celebrate], that’s what you miss.

“But I’m really pleased with where the club’s going and [I’m] happy with what I’m doing and Goody is doing a fantastic job.”

Will you coach again?

Although he was lured out of retirement to guide Melbourne, the 2005 Sydney Swans premiership coach said he wouldn’t do it again.  

“Definitely not coaching. We’ve got another planned trip at the end of the year and we’re going to head away. With what Tami’s sacrificed from a family point-of-view – getting back over to the [United] States [is important],” he said.

“I’m just really pleased [for the club]. It’s been a collective effort there from the start. The amount of work put in by Glen Bartlett, Peter Jackson, Josh, Todd and Jason – and there is so many great people over in admin – [has been significant].

“The footy department is starting to bear fruit and regardless of what happens this year, I’m really confident the club’s going to have five or six years of unbelievable success. If you get a little bit of luck at the pointy end, you get to hold the cup up, which would be nice to see.”

A Demon or Swan?

This Friday night will be a fascinating one for Roos, as it’s the first time he’s been a supporter of a Melbourne and Sydney match – since coaching both clubs.

So, which way will he lean?

“You always have a close relationship with all of the clubs that’s you’re at. I’ve still got still great mates from Fitzroy. I work with Lynchy (Alastair Lynch), Perty (Gary Pert) the [Collingwood] CEO and there are a lot of Fitzroy people still involved in footy – Matty Rendell and Scotty Clayton, so you still see them around,” he said.

“The last club I was at was Melbourne – that’s the club I want to see do really, really well. I’ve seen John Longmire win a premiership [at the Swans] and I’ve seen how successful the club’s been and what a great job they’ve done under [former chairman] Richard Colless and [chief executive] Andrew Ireland.

“Now it’d be nice for Melbourne to have a little opportunity, but I’ll have a soft spot for Sydney. It’s a no lose for me – if Melbourne play in a Grand Final against the Swans, that’d be not a bad day.”

But in terms of this round, Roos will be wearing red and … blue!

“I hope Melbourne wins and I know the Swans people would appreciate and understand that – just as much as I wanted the Swans to win in 2012 with John [Longmire],” he said.

“I was able to celebrate that day with them, and I was working that day and I interviewed all of the players after the game. I went back to their function, so hopefully it’s Melbourne’s time now.

“Hopefully John, Johnny Blakey and Andrew will understand that they’ve had their chance and now it’s time for the Demons. I’m sure they’re not going to step aside, mind you – the [Melbourne] boys will have to earn it.”

The game in 2017

Roos said the game today was in far better shape today than it was when he was previously out of coaching retirement from 2011-13.

“It’s fascinating. Four years ago, when I was doing the media, there were a lot of games that you’d look and you’d go ‘I just don’t want to commentate on this game’. It was right in the middle of expansion [in the competition]. You’d get some really, really bad games,” he said.

“Coming back into it this year, there is not a game that you look at and go ‘gee, I don’t want to go to the footy, because of the way the footy is [being played] at the moment’.

“I did the Carlton/Giants game a few weeks’ ago and Carlton got up and it was a great game. I did the Kangas game against the Bulldogs on Saturday night [and the Bulldogs won by a point]. Every game I’ve done has been really, really exciting.”

Roos said now that the competition had settled somewhat, since Gold Coast and GWS Giants had entered, the playing field was relatively even. 

“Probably the top has come down a bit and I think that’s helped everyone. There’s no doubt that teams like Melbourne, Richmond, Port [Adelaide] and Adelaide have improved,” he said.

“Again, there is no doubt in my mind that the top teams have come off by five to 10 per cent, because of the draft and the salary cap and through expansion, so it’s given everyone a great [opportunity].

“It’s just incredible. It’s been a great season and it’s going to be fantastic for the rest of the year.”


Former Melbourne coach Paul Roos at his home in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs (Photo: Matthew Goodrope)

Today …

Aside from his football media commitments, Roos has several projects on the go – from corporate engagements to his own business interests – plus there is time for travel and golf!

“We’ve got a conference that we’re speaking at next week, which is great,” he said.

“Tami and I are doing ‘The Roos Synergy’, which is around wellness and leadership, which is great. We’ve got a book coming out at the end of the year and a podcast coming up as well. So, it’s exciting to try and pass on some of that knowledge and some of the stuff I learned at Fitzroy, Sydney and then Melbourne.

“[I’m] enjoying it and I’m enjoying spending a bit more time on the golf course – and I need a bit more practice to beat Bernie. Wattsy (Jack Watts) has challenged me as well, but I don’t think I’m anywhere near that level. I’m enjoying it and loving doing the Fox Footy and Triple M and having a good time.”