THE Sydney Swans are pleased to announce that Michael O’Loughlin has accepted the role of Head Coach of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy.

O’Loughlin played 303 matches with the Swans and returns to the Club in an official capacity for the first time since his retirement in 2009.

Most recently, O’Loughlin has been Head Coach of the AIS-AFL Academy squad and is soon to tour Ireland as the Head Coach of the Indigenous All Stars.
The 2005 premiership player said he was excited by the opportunity to develop AFL talent in New South Wales.

“This is a great challenge and one I am really looking forward to getting stuck into," he said.  

“I have been in Sydney almost 20 years since joining the Swans and have seen just how far AFL has come as a code in that time.  
 
“The establishment of the Academy is one of the most significant steps for AFL development in New South Wales and I am really looking forward to helping grow what we hope will be the next generation of Swans players.

"I have really enjoyed my time at the AFL, working with some of Australia's best football talent in the AIS-AFL Academy.

"As part of that role I have been given a great opportunity to travel around the world, but with a young family, I am looking forward to once again spending the majority of my time in Sydney.  

"I can’t wait to pull on the red and white again."  

Sydney Swans Chief Executive Andrew Ireland said O’Loughlin was a fantastic appointment.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have Mick on board with the Swans as Head Coach of the Academy,” Ireland said.

“He is a club legend and has shown through his work with the AFL development pathway over the last few years what a great coaching talent he is.

“I would like to acknowledge the outstanding work Paul Roos did in helping to establish the Academy program as its inaugural Head Coach, and now look forward to seeing Michael build on those strong foundations.”

General Manager of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy, Dennis Carroll said he was confident O’Loughlin was the ideal person to take on the head coaching role.

“The QBE Sydney Swans Academy has grown rapidly over the last three years to a point where we now have more than 550 young footballers enrolled aged from 10-19 years,” Carroll said.

“Mick is not just a fantastic coach, but an outstanding person and the perfect role model for young athletes. He will be a tremendous fit for the Academy.”

O’Loughlin is set to commence his new role in mid-November.

The QBE Sydney Swans Academy program will enter its fourth full year of operation in 2014 with eight training locations, four in metropolitan Sydney and a further four in regional centres the Illawarra, Central Coast, Hunter region and Coffs Harbour.