The QBE Sydney Swans Academy will kick-start their NAB League campaign on Saturday afternoon in Melbourne, joining the AFL’s premier development competition as one of four northern Academies to contest the opening month of competition.

For the players, it is a chance to put themselves squarely in the eye of the AFL’s top talent scouts ahead of this season’s draft.

The Swans will be the first side to feature this weekend, with their opening round match against the Northern Knights to be streamed live from 2.15pm on Saturday here via the Daily Telegraph website.

Head of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy head Chris Smith said his players would be hungry and desperate to put their cases forward in the limited window they had.

“This level of competition is important for our boys because when they are back home they are playing in local leagues where you have to wait three or four weeks to play really strong opposition,” Smith said.

“For the Victorian players, they are playing week in and week out at that level.

“The fact we get four games is crucial. The players know they have to be prepared and right to go for these next four rounds or they get pushed back to local club football and get overlooked when it comes to the draft.

“The fact they have missed out on two years of football, recruiters have not seen them in action. They need to have eyes on them.”

Smith believes there is definitely talent in the QBE Sydney Swans Academy squad that should be on every AFL club’s draft list.

Read more via the Daily Telegraph: Six Sydney Swans Academy stars to watch in the NAB League this season