He wants the Swans to be involved in the capital's league for the long term and will do everything he can to support it.

Roos was the guest speaker at yesterday's local league finals lunch, but even before he started a question-and-answer session about his career, he spoke at length about how important AFL Canberra was to the Swans.

Roos said he fielded questions from people around Australia, particulary those in the media in Melbourne, about the quality of the Canberra competition, given the Swans had gone through three seasons undefeated in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

''I always say this competition has been enormously important to the success of the Sydney Swans,'' Roos said. ''When it comes to the development of our players every week, it's fantastic.

''In Canberra we can control exactly how we want to play and our players have thrived when they have made it to AFL level.''

Roos said the Swans wanted to do more than just thank the AFL Canberra league and the clubs within it: they hoped to give something back to help keep increasing the standard.

Roos said local coaches were welcome to visit the Swans and see how they did things and also urged teams to keep improving.

''Perhaps before there was a bit of a defeatist attitude,'' Roos said. ''That, 'Oh, we are playing the Swans and we'll get beaten by five or 10 goals'. Now that's changed and I think this year has taken another level.

''I think the standard has lifted, certainly this year the gap between the best and the worst has really closed.''

With the future of premiership games at Manuka Oval in doubt, Roos said the Swans still hoped to play senior premiership games in the ACT.

''I believe for the greater good of footy, I think they have to have footy in Canberra and we are happy to play our away games in Canberra,'' Roos said.

Four clubs have expressed interest in selling home games to Manuka Oval next year.