The Swans will field a standalone team in the AFL's new East Coast league, providing elevated competition for the club's senior listed players and extra opportunities for local NSW talent and QBE Sydney Swans Academy players.
The newly-created competition is made up of 22 teams from Victoria, NSW and Queensland, including AFL standalone teams, ex-Victorian Football League (VFL) clubs and former North East Australian Football League (NEAFL) teams.
It will become the premier second-tier league for the East Coast of Australia, similar to the SANFL in South Australia and the WAFL in Western Australia.
The Swans will be looking to assemble a list of up to 30 players to be available for selection alongside the club’s senior listed players. The squad is expected to comprise a number of current and former Academy players, as well as local and interstate mature-age players looking for opportunities to play at the highest level.
Sydney Swans Executive GM of Football Charlie Gardiner said the new competition ticks a lot of boxes for the club.
"Our young players will now get exposure to other AFL-listed players from both Victoria and Queensland. They'll have the opportunity to compete against more quality opposition and test themselves against some of the best young players in the country, which will be great for their development,'' Gardiner said.
"This new structure will also provide a stronger pathway for our Academy players as they graduate to open-age footy, allowing them to stay in our system for longer.''
The Swans team will be coached by former player Jeremy Laidler who previously oversaw Sydney’s reserves team in the NEAFL competition.
The playing list for the new team will comprise a primary list of up to 12 open-age players, and a development list of up to 18 players aged 22 and under.
The new structure will differ to the previous "top-up'' system used for the Swans reserves in the NEAFL competition, in that the players will form part of a dedicated squad, including open-age recruits.
The AFL has said the introduction of a development list of players aged 22 and under was designed to create a stronger connection between the AFL clubs and the Academies at the Swans, Lions, Suns and Giants.
Head of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy, Chris Smith, said the changes provided exciting opportunities for players coming through the Academy.
"This will become the premier development competition in the country,'' Smith said. "Our best Academy players will have the chance to become part of our new list and to keep their connection with the Swans,'' Smith said.
"Until now, after they turned 19 most Academy players left our system, either playing in other NEAFL teams such as Sydney Uni or heading interstate to play in competitions like the VFL or SANFL.
"Now if they're good enough they can remain part of our system in Sydney until they're 22 and even well beyond that,'' Smith said.
"We know some players take longer to develop and this gives them the chance to do that within a structured professional environment. Our guiding philosophy will be to prioritise recruiting players from our local area.
"This new competition is a win-win for both the Swans senior-listed players, and for our Academy players and graduates. It's a fantastic development opportunity for players wanting to compete at the highest level.”
In addition to the Sydney Swans, several other AFL clubs will field teams, including Richmond, North Melbourne, Footscray (Western Bulldogs), Geelong, Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, the Gold Coast Suns and GWS.
There will also be standalone teams from Queensland including ex-NEAFL sides Aspley and Southport, and VFL clubs including Port Melbourne, Werribee, Williamstown, Coburg, Frankston and the Northern Bullants.
The remaining three teams will align with AFL clubs, including Sandringham (St Kilda), Box Hill Hawks (Hawthorn) and Casey Demons (Melbourne).
The competition will start in April 2021 and be played over 16 rounds.
