Departing Sydney coach Paul Roos is more focused on leaving his successor John Longmire a strong AFL side for the future than finishing his own tenure with a flourish.

Roos, who took over the Sydney job half way through the 2002 season, will leave the club at the end of the current campaign.

Sydney are currently sitting eighth and are aiming to make the finals for the sixth time in seven full years under Roos, who famously guided them to the drought-breaking premiership win in 2005.

Roos stressed he would take more pride from the continued development of youngsters Lewis Jetta, Gary Rohan, Dan Hannebery, Nick Smith, Jesse White and Brett Meredith and recruits Josh Kennedy and Ben McGlynn than achieving another finals berth.

"I'm looking to leave the club and leave John a team that we can work with going into the compromise draft, a team that we can be proud of the next five-to-ten years," he said.

"I think that was my main goal at the end of last season and that remains the goal.

"The individual stuff is the most important thing at the moment.

"Obviously winning games is paramount as well, but talking about the pride thing, the pride will come watching the team play next year rather than worrying too much about this year."

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