Swans won’t stand in Stuart Dew’s way if offered the Adelaide Crows’ head-coaching position

THE Swans won’t stand in the way of the senior coaching ambitions of assistant Stuart Dew, who’s now outright favourite to coach Adelaide.

Attention - Zac Milbank story - Former SANFL Central Districts player and AFL Port Adelaide Power player - Stuart Dew in the huddle at 3 quarter time with the Sydney Swans against the Adelaide Crows during the 2nd qualifying final

THE Swans won’t stand in the way of the senior coaching ambitions of assistant Stuart Dew.

Dew is now the outright favourite to take the Adelaide Crows coaching job after the shock sacking of Brenton Sanderson and Melbourne securing Simon Goodwin to a five-year deal, which will see him take over as senior coach from Paul Roos in 2017.

Dew looked like he might be Roos’ successor at Melbourne last year before signing a new deal as senior assistant coach at the Swans.

While Dew is contracted for another two seasons at the Swans, coach John Longmire said he would have no problem with his assistant taking on the head coaching role at the Crows.

“Senior coach is different to an assistant coach’s role,” Longmire said.

The 35-year-old played in Port Adelaide’s 2004 premiership and Hawthorn’s 2008 premiership, kicking two important second-half goals and creating two more. After retiring at the end of the 2009 season, he joined the Swans as an assistant coach in 2010.

“He’s doing a great job with us,” Longmire said. “We’re ­really pleased with what he’s doing, his role has developed again this year. His focus is the same as mine, which is purely on the preliminary final.

“You’re never quite sure when you’re ready or you’re not ready. He’s doing a great job with us. He knows his football inside out.”

Asked about the prospect of losing Dew, Longmire would not be drawn into speculation.

“I don’t deal too much in what ifs, buts and maybes,” he said. “I deal with what is happening and right now we’re playing a preliminary final and you handle things when they present themselves at the time.

“I’m confident all our players and coaching staff are ­concentrated on North Melbourne at the moment and what pans out down the track will pan out.”

Longmire also avoided conjecture when asked if the Swans had had any talks with Essendon’s Patty Ryder.

“Not to my knowledge,” Longmire said.

With Ryan O’Keefe, Lewis Roberts-Thomson and possibly Adam Goodes finishing up, the Swans will have some extra cap space to accommodate Ryder.

Longmire hailed the form of tonight’s opponents North Melbourne, who remain $4.60 outsiders to upset the Swans.

“North Melbourne are a very even team,” Longmire said. “They’ve got a really good balance of inside and outside players, their forward line and defence is well structured, they are a good team.

“They deserve to be in this preliminary final situation.”

Originally published as Swans won’t stand in Stuart Dew’s way if offered the Adelaide Crows’ head-coaching position