SYDNEY Swans coach Paul Roos says this year’s draft and trading period will be the most important since he took over as senior coach in 2002.

The Swans will be without six premiership players from their senior list next year and that is before they consider whether to re-sign other current players who are out of contract.

Michael O’Loughlin, Leo Barry and Jared Crouch are set to play the last two games before joining Barry Hall, Tadhg Kennelly and Nic Fosdike in departing the club

With the entry of two new teams set to compromise drafts for several years, Roos said making the right decisions in the off-season would be crucial.

“We always look at our list fairly closely… but this year more so than ever. We could have as many as eight, nine or 10 draft picks. Do you want to have that many? Are there players in the SANFL, the WAFL, the VFL and so on?” he said on Friday.

“Probably this year with the compromised draft coming up is the most important year in terms of drafting and list management since I’ve been in the senior coaching position.”

Roos expected other clubs to seriously consider following the lead of the Swans and St Kilda by recycling more players from other clubs next year.  

Marty Mattner (Adelaide), Rhyce Shaw (Collingwood) and Craig Bolton (Brisbane Lions) have all flourished at the Swans since changing clubs.

At the Saints, Steven King (Geelong), Michael Gardiner (West Coast), Farren Ray (Western Bulldogs), Sean Dempster and Adam Schneider (Swans) have all played key roles in their side’s dominant season.

With the impending loss of so much experience from the club, Roos said he had been concerned about the Swans’ prospects in 2010 – regardless of trade week action.  

However, the rapid improvement of the club’s youngsters in recent weeks has eased his fears.

“I think even Leo and Mick and Hally and Crouchy would agree that they were probably a bit worried about all retiring together,” he said.

“But the way it’s been done and the way the young players have responded over the last half a dozen weeks has been really, really pleasing.

“It’s not as though those four have taken up spots all year and we haven’t been able to give young players an opportunity. It’s worked out really well for those four players and also for the club.”

The young Swans will have another chance to show their wares against Collingwood at the MCG on Sunday and Roos said the nature of youth meant the Magpies needed to expect the unexpected.

“Young players are unpredictable to the coaching staff of their own team, so I’m sure Mick doesn’t know what to expect because I don’t know what to expect, either,” he said.

“We are a bit more unpredictable; whether that’s good or not, we’ll find out on Sunday.”