Sure, after bringing the AFL premiership cup to the harbour city for the first time in 2005 with a four-point grand final win over the Eagles, Swans coach Roos would have loved to repeat the dose a year later.

But after West Coast held off a final quarter rally to win by a point, Roos feels sharing the spoils is fitting.

After that grand final the combined margin of the last five Swans-Eagles games was just 12 points, a stretch which also included two qualifying finals.

"You can look back and say we could have won two or they could have," Roos said.

"But over that period our games were so close, both teams would have been unlucky not to get a premiership out of it.

"We would have loved to have won two though. At halftime (in 2006) we were really worried (when down by 25 poins) but to our guys' credit we stuck at it, but couldn't get over the line.

"I think it added to the credibility of 05 that we were able to come back the following year and get so close. It probably cemented to everyone what a great team we were in that period of time."

Wagga product Schneider was just 21 when he played for Sydney in the 2005 grand final. He would go on to record a heartbreaking grand final loss with St Kilda in 2009, then lost to Collingwood the following year in a replay after the first decider was tied.

He knows from experience how unfair it would have been had the Swans or Eagles ended their rivalry empty handed.

"The best thing about it looking back is both teams got to win one. If I was on the end of losing two of those after such an epic rivalry, you'd be shattered and still scarred," he said.

"At the end of the day the footy gods probably looked after things a bit there."

The Swans' midfield was littered with hard nuts like former co-captain Brett Kirk, who would famously dub their clashes with the star-studded Eagles engine room as "the Ford Cortinas against the Ferraris."

Sydney still had plenty of midfield talent, led by dual Brownlow medalist Adam Goodes, but adopted the 'Bloods' culture made famous by their South Melbourne to curb brilliant Eagles Chris Judd, Ben Cousins and Daniel Kerr.

"I think Kirky coined the phrase the Ferraris versus the Cortinas and he probably didn't give us enough credit. They (Eagles) were loaded with pure talent and we were probably a bit different," Roos said.

"They were incredible match ups, and for whatever reason we matched up very well against the Eagles and their talent. We were at least able to curtail their brilliance.

"The rivalry was pure and played in incredible spirit. I can't remember a fight or anything untoward happening in those games, both teams respected each other enormously."

Schneider added: "We had guys who didn't have as big a profile, but I thought as a team we were fantastic. I think it was the style and the way we played.

"We had some real hard nuts in there like Brett Kirk and Jude Bolton who really tried to slow down their speed and power in the midfield."

Two lines stand out from Sydney's 2005 grand final win that have become part of football folklore.

There's TV commentator Stephen Quartermain exclaiming "Leo Barry, you star!" as Swans defender Leo Barry took a pack mark in the frantic final stages to repel the Eagles.

The second was Roos' passionate hoisting of the cup where he paid homage to South Melbourne, who won their final premiership in 1933 before relocating to Sydney in 1982.

"To the people who have waited 72 years to watch South Melbourne-slash-Sydney Swans win the premiership, here it is!," Roos bellowed to the red and white army.

Roos believes his former team Fitzroy merging with Brisbane, plus losing a grand final with Sydney as a player in 1996 to North Melbourne, helped him appreciate the club's South Melbourne 'Bloods' history.

"When I took over as coach one thing we really wanted to do was go to back to our roots and reconnect to the Bloods," he said.

"We put a video together with some former players on it to let the players know what it was like for the pioneers to leave Melbourne, and go to Sydney.

"It was so pleasing to see the banners (at the grand final). It's hard to put into words how massive it was at Lakeside Oval (the following day) and people still thank you to this day."

The Swans lost the qualifying final to West Coast in 2005 before four goals to small forward Nick Davis allowed them to finish over the top of Geelong the following week.

Another comeback win over St Kilda in the preliminary final booked their spot in the grand final.

"Nick's performance against Geelong, I still argue it's the best quarter of finals footy ever played," Roos said.

"The grand finals would have to be top five (of all time), not only the quality of the games but the history.

"You look at the Bulldogs in 2016 (when they broke a 62-year flag drought) and us in 2005, from a historical perspective (it was big).

"Some of the other games in the mix are great games, but they're not necessarily ones people jump to when they talk about grand finals."

Schneider, now on Greater Western Sydney Giants' coaching staff, said the 2005 premiership helped establish Australian Rules in NSW.

"The games against the Eagles were absolutely epic, to be honest," he said.

"You just knew it would be a hard battle for whole two hours and over time it worked out pretty easy.

"I was only a 21 year old running around having a kick, but now being around for a while I understand what the premiership meant.

"The state definitely needed it because it's very rugby oriented up here, it was a key moment in developing the game."

While he helped break the Swans' drought, Schneider wasn't as lucky finishing his 228-game career at St Kilda.

With scores level in the 2009 grand final against Geelong late in the game, Matthew Scarlett's infamous 'toe poke' to Gary Ablett set up a goal for forward Paul Chapman, with the Cats winning by two goals.

The following year Schneider featured in the tied grand final against Collingwood, before the Magpies proved far too strong in the replay.

Geelong's win in 2009 stamped their dynasty which included a 119-point grand final belting of Port Adelaide in 2007, and a loss to the Hawks in 2008.

It means the Saints are still waiting to add to their sole premiership in 1966.

"I still have nightmares about it, especially the Geelong grand final because I thought we were probably the better team that year and on game day we didn't quite execute, myself included," Schneider said.

"It's one of those ones you don't want to watch again, but it keeps popping up on TV."

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