Rodney Eade believes coach stability has been a key to Sydney's sustained AFL success as he and his Swans successor Paul Roos set milestones this week.

Eade, who will chalk up his 500th game as a senior player and a coach when the Western Bulldogs play Essendon on Friday, took the Swans to the 1996 grand final in his first year with Sydney.

He tallied 152 games in charge, before being replaced midway through 2002 by Roos, who will surpass that mark against Collingwood on Saturday.

"152 is not a very high number when you look at other clubs, coaches are near 250 and up towards 300," Eade said.

"Historically the Swans, whether it be Sydney or South Melbourne, have chopped and changed a fair bit and haven't had much stability.

"Hopefully I brought that and certainly Paul has as well.

"I think it proves that if a club is pretty stable and you give a coach a chance to develop some players, it can work for you."

While the legendary Ron Barassi held the Swans coaching reins from 1993-95, Sydney didn't make the finals during his tenure and qualified just twice in their first 14 years in Sydney before Eade took over.

"Over a period of time under Rocket (Eade) and under myself, the club has been pretty successful," Roos said with a little pride.

Eade guided the Swans to the finals five times in his six and a half seasons.

Sydney has made the finals in each full season during Roos's tenure, winning the 2005 premiership and losing the grand final the following year by a point.

Prior to Eade's appointment the coaching record for the club was 111 games, one of the lowest in the league.

Eade will become just the 16th person in the competition's history to reach the 500 game landmark.

He played 259 games (229 for Hawthorn and 30 for Brisbane) and has added 88 games as Bulldogs coach since finishing with Sydney.

Roos was typically laconic about his impending record.

"Last week I levelled the record and this week I suspect I will break it, because I've got the total support of the board at the moment unless something happens between now and Saturday," joked Roos, who earlier this year went past the 500 mark for combined senior playing and coaching games.

"It's something you sit down after your carer has finished and you think about it then.

"But at the moment, I don't think (Collingwood coach) Mick Malthouse is too worried about giving me a present for the 153rd game."

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