SYDNEY coach Paul Roos has scoffed at criticism of his team's ageing list and supposedly bleak future and pointedly described the praise heaped upon the 2008 performance of teams such as Carlton as "extraordinary".

Giving his strongest indication yet that he would extend his coaching contract with Sydney beyond 2009, Roos indicated to The Age that he had no intention of walking away from the senior coaching position and expected to meet football operations boss Andrew Ireland in coming weeks to discuss a deal.

"For a team that everyone says is too old, I would say we are better than Richmond or Carlton or Essendon," Roos said. "We might finish 16th next year but no one tipped us to make the eight this year and, right now, I'm probably better placed than Matthew Knights or Brett Ratten.

"I just find it extraordinary that people celebrate teams that finish ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th. You might as well have a cut-off and just have a top four. I keep reading about what a great season Carlton had. Where did they finish? It really is extraordinary."

Denying his club had ever felt the need to remain in the top half of the ladder because of marketing pressures in a non-traditional AFL city, Roos said he had been genuinely excited by the progress of his six debutants this year, along with youngsters Jarred Moore, Kieren Jack and Heath Grundy.

Only Jack has been nominated for the Rising Star award — the winner of which will be announced today — and Roos remained bemused that Craig Bird failed to receive mention despite 21 games in his first year.

The Sydney coach also brushed aside predictions that his club would be forced to spend several seasons languishing in the bottom half of the ladder because of poor list management or a hangover from too many seasons in the top half.

"We're certainly not gloom and doom up here," Roos said. "We're in the finals and eight teams are not. I find it funny in Melbourne that you're reading about how exciting teams out of the eight are and that we're coming to the end of an era. It sounds catchy, I know, and (before last Saturday night's win over the Brisbane Lions) our win-loss ration was two and six but the fact is we've made the finals again and it's six years in a row and I'm very proud of what this group has achieved.

"I don't think we could finish on the bottom three years in a row like Carlton did. Or was it four? I certainly think, however, that we could sell a rebuilding program and philosophically, I do think we need to take some kids in the next draft.

"Having said that, I do think sometimes the draft is overrated. I think some people see it as a panacea for winning premierships but I still haven't seen a team win one from the bottom."

Roos has not missed the finals as coach in a full season. Of his cynicism with the "bottoming out" theory, he added: "Maybe Hawthorn will change that. Everyone's probably got their eye on Carlton but they didn't even make the finals, which I find extraordinary when you look at all their first-round draft picks and Nick Stevens and Chris Judd.

"We recruited to win a premiership, which we did, but the blueprint is yet to be produced as to how to win one. I don't think enough kudos is given to teams that make the eight. I haven't seen a team win it yet from outside the eight. We can all speculate on what's going to happen next year but at the moment, my view is forget about next year until we've finished with this year."

Sydney's board has empowered Ireland to extend Roos' contract later this month and the coach indicated he had been invigorated by the future prospects of his team. Although Roos said he had not decided whether he would coach beyond his current deal, which ends in 2009, the 2005 premiership coach denied he had handed over any authority this season.

"Me going down on the bench was seen as a sign I was handing things over. There's been no philosophical handover, that's really just part of the evolution of coaching … I still feel as far as the job description for coaching goes now — which also includes marketing, media, promotion as well as footy — I still feel like I'm very much in charge of this football club."