Paul Roos delivers brutal John Longmire truth as MCG detail emerges from AFL grand final defeat

Legendary Swans coach Paul Roos has claimed Sydney's latest AFL grand final heartbreak will happen again if John Longmire doesn't adapt his game plan to suit the wider and longer MCG pitch. After being the benchmark of the 2024 season and heading into the grand final as favourites and minor premiers, Sydney were played off the park by the Lions in an 18.12 (120) to 9.6 (60) flogging.

The loss marked the fourth consecutive grand final defeat for the Swans following losses to Hawthorn in 2014, the Bulldogs in 2016 and Geelong two seasons ago. And Roos - who engineered the end of the Swans' 72-year premiership drought back in 2005 - believes Longmire hasn't learnt from his mistakes. Roos says the veteran coach has failed to make adequate changes to his tactics to take into account the larger MCG surface and insists it is something that must be addressed before next season.

Roos handed the coaching reins to John Longmire after the 2010 season and while the man known as 'Horse' has an incredible overall AFL record, his former mentor believes his current style of play doesn't translate to success at the MCG. "They’ve dramatically changed their game plan this year,” Roos told ABC Sport.

"They are no longer a hard, tough, defensive team that is hard to score against. They are a team that’s hard to beat because they’re so talented, but they’re not hard to play against. They play a style that suits their home ground, which is further exposed on the MCG. How many times do we look at the screen (in the grand final) … very, very rarely there are more Swans players in the frame than Lions players. They didn’t even get numbers to the contest, which I think is the bigger concern."

Swans historically struggle on MCG pitch

The MCG ground is well known for its wide surface, allowing teams to utilise the space to play an expansive game of footy. But in the case of the Swans, who regularly play down the middle corridor, it is something they have to adapt to when playing at the iconic Melbourne venue.

Last weekend's grand final was only the fourth time in 2024 the Swans played at the ground. They went 2-2 at the MCG this season, a far cry from their overall dominance of the league. Compare that to the SCG where the Swans registered 11 wins and 2 losses this season and it is not hard to see the ground better suited to the Swans' style of play.

The MCG is 160m long and 141m wide compared to the SCG which is 5m shorter and 5m narrower. And while that may not sound like much it can make all the difference. It also should be noted that the SCG before the 2007 redevelopment was well below 150m in length and was also narrower.

In the grand final the Lions were able to use the MCG's dimensions much better than their counterparts as Longmire's strategy to nullify Brisbane's kick-mark game failed. The Lions' expansive and patient approach picked holes through Sydney's defence as they stretched the play out wide and methodically broke them down.

The Lions took an incredible 76 uncontested marks in the first half alone and let the ball do the work, something Longmire admitted post-match his players failed to stop. "We were beaten at ground level and they were able to get back through us too easy," Longmire said in his post-game press conference. "We didn't put enough pressure around the ball. You can't play that second quarter and expect to compete to the level that's required."

"In big games you need pressure, you need a contest, and we just didn't show that. They were harder, they were cleaner, they tackled better and we couldn't match their pressure. They made us defend and took 76 uncontested marks in the first half which just isn't acceptable, and that's where it all started."

Paul Roos calls for Swans list overhaul after grand final defeat

Despite believing Longmire needs to adjust his team tactics, Roos believes he has the tools to win a flag. But the former Sydney coach called for a squad overhaul ahead of the 2025 campaign. After another grand final defeat, Roos believes they must look to move on some star players who have failed to perform in the recent grand final losses.

"That conversation now has to take place (who needs to go). They have to put good players on the market that change the narrative,” he said. “Again, we’re talking margins. We’re talking about a great footy club.

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“I’m not getting carried away like some pundits about John Longmire and culture and that sort of stuff. There’s no question that the talent in terms of management, their structure and the football club is there.

“But it’s two (grand finals) in three years with largely the same group. There are some holes in the organisation in terms of the game plan and now potentially personnel. If John and the coaching staff firmly believe that there are players in there that can’t perform on the biggest stage, you have to get rid of them. It’s a brutal industry, but that’s just the reality.”