The Sydney Swans will compete for a place in the 2026 Toyota AFL Grand Final when they face Fremantle in a blockbuster Preliminary Final at the SCG on Friday night. 

Ahead of the one-versus-two showdown, senior coach Dean Cox declared his team’s performance in the Qualifying Final wasn’t a result of two weeks of work, but rather part of a long-term investment into the club’s younger players. 

Since Cox took over last year as senior coach, seven players have made their AFL debut, including Tom Hanily, Will Edwards and Harry Kyle. He insists these debuts were not an accident – they were rightfully earned opportunities that helped instil confidence, experience and progress in the next generations of Bloods. 

“Unfortunately, you can't put an old head on young shoulders,” Cox said on More than Footy, presented by Bing Lee. 

“The experience of playing AFL is completely different to junior football, under-18s or even the VFL, [so] we've got to put them in these positions as often as we possibly can.” 

The forward-thinking project began back in pre-season when many of these young players trained as part of the role-based system, so when the chance to don the red and white arised, the players knew exactly that was expected of them.  

“I think it's not just done in the week leading in,” Cox said  

“Obviously we try and speak about the way we want to play, the system we want to play with, what's a player's particular role when he comes into the team.  

“We want real clarity with the way we go about things, and we want to make sure that the players understand what's required of them.” 

Cox admits the challenges of preparing players for moments such as the Qualifying final is one of the hardest things to do as a coach.  

Ultimately, he hopes the work they do in the lead-up to the game allows them to thrive when they take the field. 

“We do some things, whether it's theming, whether it's video stuff that we look at or try and tell stories, to try and get them engaged and ready to go as quickly as possible.” 

“You just hope you've got them prepared as well as you possibly can, and they're ready to play the footy that everyone wants them to play.” 

Now turning their attention to a sold-out Preliminary Final at the SCG, Cox is hoping for another strong showing, but insists the strong mix of youth and experience is a delicate balance. 

“We've got some senior players in our team that were unbelievable against Brisbane, and then maybe they're really enjoying some of these young, enthusiastic teammates that come into the team and are 15 years younger that are just buzzing around and doing what they need to do,” Cox said. 

“It's a good balance at the minute, and here we need it again Friday night.”