Irish Echo Sport

SYDNEY Swans coach Paul Roos has said Kyle Coney is welcome to do his rehabilitation from a recent shoulder injury at the club if he decides he would like to be a Swan. 

The Tyrone man decided to stay in Ireland after Christmas despite being just months into his international rookie contract with the club. 

However, his time playing Gaelic football back in Ireland hasn’t gone to plan with shoulder surgery ruling him out for the entire 2009 season.

“If he wants to return we’ll fly him back out and he can rehab here,” Roos said.

“But if he stays back there, their doctor will put a programme in place and we won’t have much involvement with his rehab.”

Despite not knowing whether the Tyrone teenager will return Down Under, the club has been monitoring him since hearing news of his injury.

“Gibbsy (Sydney Swans’ team doctor Nathan Gibbs) knows the surgeon that’s operating on Kyle. He’s top class so, as for the operation, he’s being really well looked after.” 

What’s more, Roos is still hopeful that the 2008 All-Ireland winning minor captain could decide to return to Sydney.

“We’re still talking to Kyle. We understand he’s young and it’s hard so we’ll still try and hopefully convince him to come back out here.”

As for Irish rookie Brendan Murphy, who is currently in Ireland also recovering from shoulder surgery, Roos said the club had been insistent on him spending time at home during what is a difficult time for the Carlow man.

“We were really pushing for him to go back home for a three-week period because we know how hard it is to be out here. But to then get injured is hard. He’s only out here to play footy, for no other reason, so when he’s not playing footy it becomes frustrating.”

Roos also confirmed that the club had been quick to reassure the former Gaelic footballer that he was still a big part of the club’s plans despite his badly timed injury.

“We spoke to him before he got on the plane to reassure him that we still see him as an important part of the club because he’s a rookie and he’s out of contract. 

“So the message we gave Brendan is that unless something dramatic happens he’ll definitely be here at the end of the year and next year. There’s no 100 per cent guarantees but what we’ve said to him is that we see him as part of the future, so I’d be absolutely staggered if he wasn’t here next year.

“I certainly rate him and see him being here for five to 10 years, so I think that peace of mind getting on a plane, knowing he’s not rehabbing for nothing and knowing he’s really got something to come back to, and he’s got a potential career in AFL.

“We’re really leaving him alone a bit because for the first three weeks you can’t do too much with your shoulder. It’s a great time for him to just see his family and his friends and enjoy himself without the pressures of AFL and where he’s going. Then when he gets back he can get stuck into his rehab.”

Roos also revealed that the club’s woes with their Irish players in 2009 won’t put them off possible recruitment of Irish players for season 2010.

“We’ve still got an interest over there. It really depends on the talent and calibre and whether they want to come so we’ll continue our recruiting process over there.”