This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Sydney Swans' 2005 Premiership, a historic moment in the club's history that ended a 72-year premiership drought.

The Sydney Swans Foundation is also celebrating 20 years, its work instrumental in developing the next generation of stars through its support of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy.

Some of the kids making their mark in the Academy are the children of 2005 Premiership stars, Brett Kirk, Michael O'Loughlin, Amon Buchanan, and Nick Davis.

Speaking to Sydney Swans Media, the past players and their children reflected on the Premiership and the role of the Academy in their lives.

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’05 heroes and the next gen

As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 2005 Premiership, we look with hope to the next generation. Hear from four of our ’05 heroes whose kids are making their own mark in the QBE Sydney Swans Academy.

Michael O'Loughlin has seen the growth of the Academy since its inception, his son James now representing the Swans in the Coates Talent League. 

"The Academy has just made huge inroads here over the 30-odd years that I've been here, kids who have never played the game before get an opportunity to do it in an elite environment," O'Loughlin said

"And the Foundation's been a hallmark of the Swans now for a number of years, I mean, they've helped with the build of where we are today, they're always there to support, and their input with the Academy has been huge."

For Brett Kirk and his son Skout, the Academy has been a way to connect the past and the future. 

"It's pretty cool, Skout gets to run around in the red and white and be part of the Academy," Kirk said.

"When I first came up here in the late 90s, it wasn't a thing, so now, for our club to invest in our younger players, our youth, it's pretty special."

Buchanan, who now works as an assistant coach at the Swans, emphasised the importance of the Foundation's support.

"They do such a great job at harnessing talent and providing a pathway for kids to come in from different sports around Sydney and the surrounding areas to access an elite talent pathway," Buchanan said.

"We can't run this academy without the Foundation's support and the donations, so it's absolutely important that people get behind it and continue to support an academy that's been so good for us.

"So we can eventually harvest talent like we have at the moment with Errol Gulden, Isaac Heeney, Callum Mills, and these kids that are coming through." 

Swans members and fans can donate to the Sydney Swans Foundation to help back the generation of Swans stars.