Sydney coach Paul Roos says he takes pride out of the performance of his good friend and former assistant Ross Lyon, who is overseeing St Kilda's unbeaten start to the AFL season.

Roos and Lyon played together at Fitzroy before both ultimately entered the coaching ranks.

After Roos became Sydney head coach halfway through the 2002 season, he recruited his old friend Lyon as an assistant.

Lyon stayed with the Swans for four full seasons, during which Sydney reached two grand finals, winning the 2005 flag.

He was appointed to the St Kilda head coaching post before the 2007 season and has steered them to an impeccable 16-0 record this year.

The 11th-placed Swans, who will face the Saints at the SCG in round 18, are almost certain to miss the finals this season.

Asked if he took pride in what his former apprentice was doing at St Kilda, Roos said: "In a strange way you do.

"Coaches don't barrack for other footy clubs, but ... if you asked me who I want to win the flag, it would be pretty easy to give you an answer on that.

"It would be Sydney, but we are not going to do that (this year), so it will be St Kilda, I will certainly be barracking for them, apart from two weeks' time.

"I also said to him, they are 16-0, hopefully 17-0, they can afford to give us one in a couple of weeks.

"I'm very proud of what he has done there and I'm very hopeful they will have a very successful season and hopefully for him and the club, it would be great for them to win a premiership."

Meanwhile Roos was also taken back by the news one of his other coaching acquaintances, Sydney Roosters mentor Brad Fittler, was being replaced next year by current Newcastle coach Brian Smith.

"I was down in Melbourne actually watching my nephew play and I nearly fell off my chair when I was having a coffee and someone told me what had happened," Roos said.

"Without knowing the full details, it was quite unusual.

"I thought Brian Smith was contracted next year and I suppose the way that `Freddy' (Fittler) found out about it didn't sound too flash."

Roos said defender Ted Richards was still in a Melbourne hospital, but getting better after suffering broken ribs and a punctured lung in the loss to Carlton.

He said veteran fullback Leo Barry, a potential replacement for Richards, returned from injury to play 70 minutes in the reserves last weekend, but was still "a little away from playing" senior football.

While Sydney was well beaten by Carlton last week, Roos extracted positives from performances of some of his youngsters, including forward Jesse White.

"I thought Jesse's first half was really good, we just couldn't get the ball down (to him) in the second half," Roos said.

"I thought Nick Smith's game on Eddie Betts was fantastic.

"I thought Ed Barlow on a halfback flank was really good ... Dan Hannebery had some really nice touches and showed that he has got a bit of class."

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