Three years ago, Harry Kyle thought he would only ever play footy at his local park, not the SCG.

With Australian Rules being his third-choice sport (behind basketball and rugby union) as a youngster growing up in the northern suburbs of Sydney.

A talented basketballer and then star on the rise in rugby union, it was a change of code alongside hard work and determination that has the QBE Sydney Swans Academy graduate set to make his AFL debut in front of a packed SCG this Saturday against Richmond.

Kyle joined the Swans list in last year's Telstra AFL Draft, picked up with the club's first round at pick number 14. It has since kick-started a rapid 18-month rise from the Academy to the senior list, culminating in his first AFL selection this week.

A quiet character, Kyle was told on Thursday morning in the team meeting of his debut and was taken back by the news.

His debut was revealed by coach Dean Cox announcing that Kyle would be 'Bloods number 1464" (the 1464th player to play for the football club). 

It took a moment for it to sink in that this in fact was his debut announcement and he would be running out on the SCG on Saturday afternoon.

“Yeah, I'm pretty nervous,” Kyle said when speaking to Swans Media following the news.

“To think that last year I was hoping to get drafted and nothing was certain, and to now, actually debuting is pretty exciting.”

A Sydneysider born to Victorian parents, Kyle grew up playing rugby union and basketball, and only played Australian Rules sporadically.

However, an email to the Academy in 2024 landed him a successful four-week trial, where Kyle displayed his athletic ability and caught the attention of U18 Head Academy Coach at the time (now AFLW senior coach), Colin O'Riordan who recalls the instant impact he made on the coaching staff.

“The first training session, I remember standing on the sideline, and the other coaches, and I were just having a chat, but we looked at him and we said, 'who's this kid? Where's he come from and how come he hasn't been in the Academy beforehand?’” O'Riordan said.

“All of a sudden, we had a game next weekend, and we just felt we had to play him.”

Compared to the likes of Finn Callaghan from the GIANTS throughout his draft year, Kyle placed in the Top 10 in the Telstra AFL Draft Combine for vertical jump, running jump and agility to really catch the eye of talent scouts before realising his dream and being drafted to the Swans in November.

In his first year as a contracted player, he has played eight VFL games this season for Sydney and notched 23 disposals across the half back against the top-of-the-table Geelong last weekend, which ultimately earned him the call-up.

“Harry has worked hard for this opportunity, and it’s a terrific reward to see him make his debut on Saturday afternoon,” Senior Coach Dean Cox said.

“It’s also testament to how important and valuable QBE Sydney Swans Academy is, as it continues to develop talent capable of playing AFL footy.”

Kyle acknowledged the role of the Academy and how the last 18 months spent in and around the squad have made him fall in love with the sport and the connection it provides.

“I probably wouldn't have made it this far if the Academy wasn't a thing, because it made me strive to be a part of a team,” Kyle said

“Without that happening, I would have just been playing local footy and don't know where it would have gone. I don't know if I would have loved it as much.”

Kyle’s former coach, O'Riordan, who played 34 senior games of AFL for the red and white before retiring in 2022, gave Kyle some advice ahead of his AFL debut.

“Making your debut in the AFL, it happens once. You don't get a second chance at this,” O'Riordan said

“It’s one of the things in life where you actually don't get a second chance to debut. So, soak it in as much as you can. It's an incredibly special day.”

The Sydney Swans will take on Richmond this Saturday at the SCG from 1:15 pm AEST.

Tickets are available HERE and you can get all your match day information via our MATCH DAY HUB.

Can't get to the game? Tune into Channel 7, Kayo and Fox Footy from 1:00 pm to catch all the action.