Tanya Hetherington has joined the Sydney Swans coaching staff for the upcoming AFLW season, working with Scott Gowans, Nick Davis and Bronwyn Gulden as the new forwards coach.
The AFLW stalwart, who retired at the end of the 2022 season, brings a wealth of experience to the red and white after a successful playing and coaching career. Hetherington played six seasons for the GWS Giants, and has featured heavily amongst the coaching ranks for VFLW side Diamond Creek, and more recently with the AFL National Academy Boys and Girls programs, and Calder Cannons Under 18s Girls in the Coates Talent League.
Get to know Tanya as she settles into life at the Bloods.
How are you feeling now that you've joined the Sydney Swans and what were some of the main reasons you joined the club?
“I’m super excited. It’s awesome to come back to Sydney and join the Swans. It’s a great group, up-and-coming, and I can’t wait to be involved," Hetherington said.
“When I played [in AFLW] I came up to the Giants in their second season so there are a lot of similarities in terms of joining the Swans in their season two. I feel like I can contribute really positively to the group and where they’re at in this stage.”
How do you feel your playing experience in the AFLW can help with your coaching role at the Swans?
“I think being able to share my footy IQ with the players. It probably helped me play for as long as I did. Also, being a recently retired player I hope I can relate to the girls.”
How have you perceived the club from a distance in recent years and what excites you most about the playing group?
“You can see how much people love being here. That’s really evident. We’ve had a couple of girls come across from the Giants and couldn’t speak more highly of the club. You can see that there’s something growing really strong here. They’re on the up."
“I’m also fortunate that I’ve just come out of working in the talent space nationally so to be able to identify the talent here – especially young talent – I’m really confident I can help to get the best out of them.”
How excited are you to work alongside our AFLW coaching staff?
“It’s so exciting. I was lucky enough to have Scott [Gowans] coach me in my final year at Diamond Creek. I still remember things that he taught me then that I’ve taken to my coaching. I can’t wait to coach alongside him.
“I was lucky enough to meet Bronwyn [Gulden] at the National Championships and Nick Davis, he was an idol of mine growing up, so I couldn’t be more excited to work alongside them.”
What are your goals for Season 2023?
“It’s to keep improving. I want to work with the girls to help them with their footy knowledge and see them progress. Coming off last season there’s so much room to grow which is really exciting. We have some new recruits too, so my goal is to be a really positive influence on them. There’s no limit for me.”
