QBE Sydney Swans Academy head coach Jared Crouch made 223 AFL appearances and played in the club’s 2005 premiership win.

He is now fostering the next crop of talent as they prepare for the Under 18 Academy Series and says he wants them to realise an AFL dream of their own.

They will get their Academy Series campaign underway in a clash with the Brisbane Lions at Blacktown International Sportspark on Saturday and in November will enter the Draft.

Crouch says helping young talent realise their potential is the best part of his job.

“Development, identifying talent and getting the most out of the kids is what I enjoy most,” Crouch said.

“I’ve been working hard with the young players, working hard to develop their skillset, share my experience both as a player and a senior coach, giving all the hints I can to get the most out of them. I really enjoy the development aspect and really enjoy working with the younger players. The greatest rewards are teaching something and seeing the player execute it, whether it’s teaching a skill or teaching a pattern of play or whatever it might be.”

The Swans Hall of Famer played for the club between 1998 and 2009.

He made his senior debut against Collingwood in Round 7, 1998 and didn’t miss a game until Round 13, 2006.

He finished in the top 10 of the Sydney Swans Club Champion award six years in a row and was presented with the Paul Roos award for best player in finals in 2005.

He then landed a coaching role with the Swans in 2010 in which he worked with the reserves and Academy in a hybrid role.

The South Australian then committed to the Academy in a full-time capacity early in 2016 and helped Academy products James Bell and Jake Brown on the road to the Rookie Draft.

The two midfielders signed with the Swans at the Rookie Draft last November and Crouch said they were beacons of light for the next crop of talent.

“What they can learn from James and Jake is this is a real pathway and that what we do here is seen in a positive aspect of our recruiters,” Crouch said.

“We want more boys to be able to live the same dream I was able to when I was younger and play senior AFL football. We’re all competitive beasts, we all like to win, but ultimately seeing someone learn something and do it is what I get most satisfaction out of. With James Bell and Jake Brown ending up on the senior list last year was equally rewarding.”