Demons' Roos plans to shield AFL players

Paul Roos plans to act as a human shield for the inevitable criticism coming Melbourne’s way as he sets about revitalising the AFL club.

Roos, who led Sydney to their drought-breaking 2005 premiership, says one of the biggest lures of coaching the Demons was the sheer magnitude of the task.

Melbourne won just two of 22 games last season to finish 17th.

While Roos is confident he has the off-field group in place to turn things around, he says how quickly that happens is largely up to the players.

In the meantime, he intends to stand in the firing line of impatient fans or media.

“The worse it sounded the more exciting it got, I guess,” Roos told the Demons’ website, when asked what attracted him to the job.

“I see it as a senior coaching role but I see it more as a leadership role and driving the coaching group and driving the player group.

“We’re going to cop some whacks in the head from the media and fans and all those sorts of things.

“Probably that’s my main role, just to absorb that for the players and absorb that for the other coaches so they can get on with their job.

“In a strange way that’s probably the exciting part.

“It is a challenge, I know that, but probably to shield everyone else from what’s about to happen.”

Roos said Melbourne had assembled a strong group of coaches, fitness staff and recruiters.

Even still, he said improvement would largely depend on how hard players worked and pushed each other.

“This is not passing the buck, but the coaches can only do so much,” Roos said.

“We can hopefully set some high standards, we get them fit and set a gameplan that we think is going to win.

“Then, to be perfectly frank, it’s really up to the players.”