Sydney Swans senior assistant coach Stuart Dew is one of nine coaches to be part of the first intake of the AFL's coaching accreditation course to prepare himself for the next senior vacancy.

After considering applications through February, the AFL has locked in nine coaches to start the level four course, which will become mandatory for those applying for senior positions in the future.

Melbourne senior assistant Simon Goodwin, who will take over from coach Paul Roos ahead of the 2017 season, has also been selected in a group that reflects an industry consensus on the next wave of senior coaches. 

Rounding out the first intake are Matthew Nicks (Port Adelaide), Brendon Bolton (Hawthorn), John Barker (Carlton), Blake Caracella (Geelong), Robert Harvey (Collingwood), Adam Kingsley (St Kilda) and Simon Lloyd (Fremantle).

The last of the successful candidates was notified on Wednesday following an extensive selection process involving a panel of leading coaches and club CEOs.

It is understood the majority of past senior coaches who have remained active in the industry will be awarded the level four accreditation. As a result, all applicants were assistant coaches who were yet to coach their own team at AFL level.

Dew is one of three assistant coaches selected that will have taken the reins at their respective clubs by the end of the NAB Challenge series.

Dew, was heavily courted by Melbourne in 2013 to succeed Roos before being linked to the Crows job last year.

All inductees, who will be assigned a coaching mentor, will complete a program tailored to their experience level and it is likely they will complete it at different stages.

The course's development has been led by the AFL's Michael Poulton with input from former senior coaches Brendan McCartney, Neale Daniher and John Worsfold.

The curriculum is based on a model from the International Council for Coach Education, which has been tailored to the AFL by McCartney. 

The AFL Coaches Association has co-funded the project and will work with the AFL to ensure it is successful, CEO Mark Brayshaw said.

"The AFL Coaches Association is very supportive of the level four senior coach program because it's going to take nine participants through a very rigorous process and give them a better chance to be successful if they are appointed senior coaches," Brayshaw said.

"We're aware that a handful of applicants have not been admitted on this occasion, however, because the application process was so thorough we think there's some very valuable feedback available to them to enhance their professional development prior to hopefully being admitted in future intakes. 

"It's very important that this year's participants are really challenged and stretched and that they come out at the end of the program endorsing its value. 

"So we're going to work very hard with the AFL to make sure that outcome is achieved."