Sydney premiership coach Paul Roos remembers the Swans' 2005 grand final win over West Coast

Australia Broadcast Center

29-05-2025

Sydney premiership coach Paul Roos has spoken of the moments that made a difference in the team's 2005 AFL grand final win, the feelings in the aftermath, and the rivalry with the great West Coast team of the era as the club prepares to celebrate 20 years on.
In one of the closest grand finals in history, the Swans and the Eagles fought out a low-scoring epic at the MCG, with Sydney emerging with the win 8.10 (58) to 7.12 (54).
The match is remembered for Sydney winning its first premiership in 72 years, dating back to the days of South Melbourne. It's also remembered for the match-winning pack mark taken by Leo Barry in the final seconds.
Ahead of the club's 20-year celebration of the flag this weekend, Roos told ABC's AFL Daily podcast Barry's mark, great as it was, tended to overshadow other important elements that contributed to the win.
"Amon Buchanan's game – his spoil on the wing, tackle. Nik Fosdike's game was exceptional, Lewis Roberts-Thompson … the ball followed him for the first half, and I think it hit him on the back of the head when he was going up the race it was that attracted to him in the first half," Roos said.
"Leo [is remembered] and rightly so, with that mark but probably it takes away a little bit from the great efforts of the team. Barry Hall's goal, it was a big goal, Amon's goal [to put the Swans in front in the final quarter], there were so many moments, key moments that made a difference."
Roos recalled the minutes after the game, celebrating with assistant coaches including John Longmire, who would succeed Roos as Swans coach and win the flag in 2012.
"We spent some lovely time in the box together. I was really fortunate that we played [the grand final] in 2005, when the coaches box was in the grandstand. So we walked down the grandstand, we didn't go down in the lift.
"We walked through the crowd, the Swans people walking on to the ground, all the people who'd put money in, the administrators, the ex-players, Paul Kelly giving me the cup, family members – I still remember it vividly, it was just an amazing time."
His speech on the podium after the grand final became a much-quoted moment because of its conclusion as Roos said: "For the people who've waited 72 years for South Melbourne — slash — Sydney Swans to win the premiership ... here it is!".
Roos told ABC the speech was a mix of preparation and a bit of off-the-cuff improvisation.
"You semi-rehearse your victory speech and [your one] if you lose. You want to be humble, gracious both if you win or lose," he said.
"But it was only when I saw the banner [before the game], and I think it was "two cities, one team" or something like that. I realised if we do win this it's sort of a culmination of a lot of hard work that went back to South Melbourne moving to Sydney [in 1982].
"When I got up on the podium that's when it jumped into my head, about the "Here it is!" for those who'd waited 72 years for Sydney/South Melbourne to win the premiership. So yes I'd rehearsed a little bit of it, but not that last part of it, and that came from seeing the banner before the game."
Sydney coach Dean Cox famously played against Sydney in that grand final — and took a mark with seconds to go that launched the last desperate attack that was snuffed out by Leo Barry's famous mark.
"We [Longmire and I] chatted about his mark, because he marked it to kick it back in to Leo Barry, so he played a significant role. Coxy, if you had have lowered your eyes, mate, instead of bombing it to centre half-forward … but he was a phenomenal player.
"He's the only ruckman I think I've ever tagged, Dean Cox as a ruckman … he was just probably one of the most underrated players because he played with [Ben] Cousins and [Daniel] Kerr and [Chris] Judd and all those great players.
"He was an incredible player [himself] — it's quite ironic, isn't it, that he's now coaching the Swans! We'll do a lap of honour at half-time [against the Crows] — he's part of the 2006 [Eagles team] and he'll be celebrating next year with his West Coast mates!
"It was great times, great memories, great rivalry, great games, it really was … we had a great respect for them and them for us, I suspect. It'll be fun to reminisce on the weekend, and [I'm] looking forward to it".