But Paul Roos is prepared to acknowledge he no longer has a strong affinity with Sydney, going as far as to suggest he will be happy should the Western Bulldogs break theirs dating back to 1954.

“It is one of those days where I will go and watch and if Bulldogs win, I take my hat off to them,” Roos said.

“I think even Bob Skilton said if we’re going to get beaten by a team, and it happens to be the Bulldogs, he’ll live with it - and I’ll be the same.”

Roos had a fallout at the Swans, parting ways under acrimonious circumstances.

He had first stepped aside from full-time coaching at the end of 2010 for assistant John Longmire and was offered a part-time role in charge of the club’s academy.

But he would walk out in 2013 over a 55 per cent pay cut to his $300,000 position, instead accepting a lucrative deal from Melbourne in a mercenary coaching capacity for up to three years.

“It’s different when you go and coach another team – you’re invested in that time. I’m still fully invested in Melbourne, even though I am not coaching, now with Simon Goodwin,” Roos said.

“My most recent memory, relationships are Melbourne.

“Having said that, Jarrad McVeigh is a good personal friend. I coached (Rising Star winner) Callum Mills and Issac Heeney through the academy to see them play.”

Roos recalls pressure for the Swans’ next – and Sydney’s first – flag since 1933.

That empathy is swaying his emotions to the Bulldogs.

“I know exactly what they’re going through. I know what the build-up will be and I also know the ramifications if they win,” Roos said.

But the former Fitzroy champion, who switched to Sydney in 1995 after 269 games with the Lions, still rated his ex-club “51 to 49 per cent” chance to win its third premiership in 12 seasons.

Bulldog legend Doug Hawkins – coincidentally finishing his career at Fitzroy in 1995 to reach 350 games – joined Roos during the 2016 South Launceston’s grand final luncheon on Friday. 

He said his old side’s best chance was forward pressure.

“Our forward line can win it. When I say that, our forward line can tackle, chase, harass and hound,” he said.

“For the Swans backline, well it won’t be coming out too easily as Eagles, Hawthorn and Giants know.”

And Hawkins backed coach Luke Beveridge’s call to leave VFL grand final Norm Goss Medallist Lin Jong and one-time Hawk free agent Matt Suckling both out.

“The standard was probably here and the AFL grand final standard would be up here,” he gestured. “So Lin’s broke a collarbone two weeks ago and no one’s done anything wrong last week.”