IT'S Sunday morning and as you sit on the plane at Tullamarine, you notice every second passenger wearing the colours of their team. Most are red and black, but there's plenty of red and white, too. From Sydney Airport, it's out to ANZ Stadium at Homebush by cab. That will be $85, thank you, sir. The stadium is grand and today will eventually seat close to 40,000 but the playing surface is not so good. It's wet, slippery and chopped up.

On Saturday night, a game of rugby league was played, as was a curtain-raiser before the Swans-Bombers main event. Nick Malceski returns to football only 90 days after a knee reconstruction. It's quite amazing and this dubious surface will test him. Thankfully, Malceski passes the test but Tadhg Kennelly doesn't. There's no doubt the Swans have become a very good football club on and off the field. They are settled, professional and focused.

Club chairman Richard Colless has presided in his role for 15 years. Coach Paul Roos has been there almost as long, with seven seasons as senior coach. We interview the chairman and ask him about some on-field coaching matters. He won't buy in. Says it's not his area of expertise. I like that. Roles are defined under Roos. You do your job and I'll do mine.

Players prosper under this regime. Kids are schooled well and made to earn their opportunities. Two who stand out in 2008 are Kieren Jack and Jarred Moore. Before round one, they had played only 11 senior games between them. Now they are regulars. Jack is a tough, tenacious tagger. He has taken on the likes of Daniel Kerr, Gary Ablett and, on Sunday, Essendon's best midfield runner Brent Stanton. Moore is nicknamed "the Brain" by his teammates. High praise, but they are impressed by the chunky young midfielder's ability to read the play and make the correct decisions.

But the players who have really blossomed under Roos' reign are those who have come from other clubs. It is the complete opposite to the Dockers, who have taken plenty of players off other lists but have struggled to improve them.

Against Essendon, the Swans fielded six players who had started their senior careers elsewhere. Craig Bolton would be the biggest success story. After battling at the Brisbane Lions, he has become one of the most accomplished defenders in the game. In 2006, he earned All-Australian selection. Each week, he gets the opposition's most dangerous full-forward. They rarely kick goals on him. On Sunday, he restricted Matthew Lloyd to one goal. Today, the premiership player and team leader would be one of the most respected players in the AFL.

Darren Jolly played about 50 mostly forgettable games for the Demons, where he was sidekick to Jeff White. Then, in 2005, he was traded to Sydney and became a premiership player in his first season.

That year, he was the second-string ruckman to Jason Ball. Now he leads the way, with "Spida" Everitt offering support. Much of the Sydney game plan revolves around controlling the stoppages, so quality ruckwork is prized. As such, the Swans last year signed the big man to a four-year deal.

At Essendon, Ted Richards couldn't consolidate a position, so after four frustrating seasons, he left. I didn't think he had much to offer, but Roos did. He settled Richards in defence, taught him, showed faith and confidence, and now he has a more-than-competent tall defender who can match it with the best.

Over six seasons, Marty Mattner played 98 games for the Crows. I loved his dash and dare as, obviously, did Roos. So he got him. In eight games for Sydney, Mattner hasn't missed a beat and is playing career-best football. Hoping to do the same will be Henry Playfair. As a Cat, the tall forward couldn't cut it, only 52 senior games in five years. On Sunday, he stripped for his new team for only the second time and played perhaps the best game of his career, with nine marks, three goals and three assists.

At 34, Peter Everitt isn't going to be a better player, but you sense the values and standards of the Sydney environment are making him a better person. And don't forget two other Swans who didn't play on Sunday. Barry Hall and Nick Davis had big question marks over them when they left St Kilda and Collingwood respectively. While Hall recently blotted his copybook, the discipline and direction at Sydney have turned their careers around.