In an Australian first, the Sydney Swans will share their coaching philosophies that helped build one of the AFL’s most consistent football programs with local NSW communities.
Academy+ takes the frameworks, drills and development principles behind the QBE Sydney Swans Academy programs, and makes them available to the coaches, clubs, schools and young athletes who shape football across New South Wales.
Academy+ is built on a simple idea. Better coaches build better clubs, and better clubs keep more talented kids playing Australian Rules.
For more than a decade the QBE Sydney Swans Academy has developed elite talent, with 51 players to date drafted to the AFL and AFLW since launch.
Academy+ is delivered as an immersive digital platform, available to a coach or player whenever they need it, complemented by targeted in-person sessions and experiences led by Sydney Swans Academy coaches and staff.
Sydney Swans Executive Director of Club Performance, John Longmire, said the Club had an obligation to share what it had learned to keep developing talent and promoting the game.
“We have spent over 15 years working out how to develop young footballers through the QBE Sydney Swans Academy. Keeping that to ourselves has never made sense,” Longmire said.
“Every great club is underpinned by volunteers who dedicate their time throughout the week. If we can provide practical tools to help make those people better coaches, we ultimately make footy better for thousands of kids who love our great game. That is the key point of Academy+.”
THREE PROGRAMS, ONE PATHWAY
Coach the Club – available from November 2026. Community clubs get direct access to Sydney Swans coaching frameworks, session plans and resources, paired with live workshops delivered by Club staff. Built for the volunteer coach, not the professional one.
Coach the School – launching 2027. The same development approach, shaped for teachers and school coaches delivering football in a school setting.
Academy Edge – launching 2027. Aspiring athletes aged 10 to 18 training the way Academy players train, with skills content, high-performance habits, live sessions and feedback from Sydney Swans coaches.
Coach the Club follows a season-long pilot with the Mosman Swans, whose coaches and volunteers tested the program and shaped the final product.
Mosman Swans President Gareth Collin said it had a huge impact on the entire club.
“Our coaches saw a marked improvement in skills and in their training sessions. Coach the Club program made our junior coaches lives easier. We are excited by the Swans expanding this program to more clubs,” Collin said.
Sydney Swans Chief Operating Officer, Drew Arthurson, said that there is clear demand for the program.
“Community coaches are not short on commitment. They are short on time and support,” Arthurson said.
“Academy+ is built on a simple idea, better coaches build better clubs, and better clubs keep more kids in the game.
“Academy+ gives them something practical to work with at training, and through to game day, backed by the people who do this for a living."
