Two members of the Sydney Swans staff have celebrated 18 years of working at the club over the past week with Head of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy, Chris Smith and Head of Operations, Amanda Turner both celebrating the significant milestone.
Chris Smith
Chris commenced working with the club as a Sales Executive in 2004 on 16 February. Whilst this initial phase of his career was focused on selling corporate hospitality packages, it became clear that Chris could make a greater contribution to the club in a football role.
Prior to the commencement of the 2007 Season, Chris was appointed to the Football Development Technician position. In this role he worked alongside Stuart Maxfield in elite talent identification, with a particular focus on the NSW market. His passion and commitment to developing the game in NSW has never waned since.
From the inception of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy, Chris Smith has played an integral role. Initially his focus remained on talent identification, but his remit expanded quickly into all aspects of the program as the Academy grew. This culminated in his appointment to the Head of Academy position in 2017 which is a role that he has remained in ever since.
Most recently, Chris has overseen the Academy’s expansion to include a girls program and he has been instrumental in our preparation to introduce our first AFLW team.
Chris has also played a big role in developing and nurturing now senior Swans players Isaac Heeney, Callum Mills, Sam Wicks, Nick Blakey, Errol Gulden, Braeden Campbell and James Bell.
Amanda Turner
Amanda commenced working with the club as an Events Assistant in 2004. Steadily increasing in experience and honing her craft, she has continued to advance her career with us over the subsequent 18 years.
For anybody that has experienced a Sydney Swans match day or major event over that period, Amanda has been the driving force behind the scenes. Her strong work ethic and attention to detail set an example for her team and peers to follow.
In her new role as our Head of Operations, Amanda works across all areas of the club and is often the glue that keeps everything together. Her recent support of our player and staff families during COVID-19 disruption along with efforts to integrate commercial staff during lockdown are prime examples of this.
