But leaping Leo Barry has revealed that it was not the supporters, but the playing group, that convinced the board to choose Roos over Terry ‘Plough’ Wallace. It was a decision that quite possibly meant a 72-year drought would be broken.
"By all reports it was pretty much done. [Plough Wallace] was coming." Leo Barry told the Marngrook Footy Show on Thursday evening.
But when Gilly asked if that was because of calls from supporters, Barry said no, "it was the playing group."
"Roosy was our defensive coach so he was obviously at the club, and he was my role coach.
"We really galvanised in that second half of the year, I think we won maybe seven out of their last nine games."
"You could tell by the players' passion. I remember our last game … we won the game, it was a really good way to finish the year. And all the players got around him and were chanting 'Roos, Roos, Roos', which we still hear. That pretty much changed the decision of the board."
