For Harry Harcourt, every training session, match and data point is an opportunity to help the Sydney Swans AFLW team improve. 

As an AFLW Athletic Assistant at the Club, Harcourt plays an important role behind the scenes, supporting players through load monitoring, strength and conditioning, reporting and match-day performance analysis. 

At the same time, he is undertaking a PhD at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) focused on AFLW match performance, using his unique position within the club to conduct research that can directly benefit the program. 

In a landmark collaboration between the Sydney Swans AFLW program and UNSW, the Sydney Swans Foundation proudly co-funds Harcourt’s four-year PhD project. 

Harcourt said the AFLW competition was at an exciting stage of growth, creating opportunities for clubs to gain valuable insights through research. 

"I started research in AFLW before coming here and it was very rewarding at the time and still is now," Harcourt said. 

"The competition is in a phase of maturation at the moment and I think it's a really good point in time to capitalise on what we're seeing in the competition and hopefully get an edge, a competitive advantage over the rest of the teams." 

Being embedded within the club provides benefits for both the AFLW program and Harcourt's research. 

"Effectively it gives the program a set of full-time hands that otherwise wouldn't be there, so it helps out with the resource side of things," he explained. 

"On top of that, the PhD really helps with doing targeted research. 

"If I was external, I could just sit on the outside and make some guesses myself on what is important, but really being involved in the program helps make sure that the research is meaningful and can have an impact going forward as well." 

The focus of Harcourt's PhD is understanding the factors that contribute to match success. 

"We're looking specifically towards match performance, which is really broad," Harcourt said. 

"We're breaking that into a few domains that we think are important. 

"Effectively we're here to win games, that's the whole purpose. So understanding what is important in matches and what leads to successful match outcomes is ideally what we're trying to figure out." 

The findings have practical applications across the football program, helping inform everything from training plans to player monitoring and performance strategies. 

While data and performance metrics are a key part of his role, Harcourt says the most rewarding aspect is seeing the players' growth and development. 

"It's a genuine joy just seeing the players get better and put in the effort and get reward from it,” Harcourt said.

"I think for me it's really exciting being a part of that and with a club that's aligned towards performance and wanting to win, it's a really cool feeling to be a part of that direction." 

Harcourt is also motivated by the opportunity to contribute to the growth of women's sport.

"I've had a lot of influential women in my life,” Harcourt said. 

"I've been given the opportunity in elite sport through the women's pathway, so there's a little bit of wanting to give back. 

"Above all, it's really rewarding." 

For Harcourt, some of the biggest moments come after the final siren, when he sees firsthand the impact the Swans players have on the next generation. 

"At games you see the little fans come up to the girls and ask for autographs and photos, that's kind of what makes it worth it,” Harcourt said.

"You see how much effort the girls put in and it's really rewarding from that point of view as well that they're developing.

"Effectively, it's just looking at a team that's trying to get better and playing a small part in that is a massive thing for me.” 

The University of New South Wales is ranked 19th worldwide and is Australia’s #1 university. They are also proud to support twelve of our AFL and AFLW athletes, including Montana Ham and Lara Hausegger as part of their world-class UNSW Elite Athlete Program. 

"UNSW has been fantastic, bringing together academics and elite sport in a really practical way," Harcourt said

"The university has been incredibly supportive of the research, helping to deliver real benefits for the AFLW program while also contributing to the broader growth of the game."

Discover the right degree for you with UNSW here.