Coaching Staff Sydney Swans Assist Coaching & Recruiting Staff: The Brains Trust

[Ticky009]

Current Sydney Swan Coaching Staff:

Head Coach: Dean Cox
Executive General Manager Football: Leon Cameron
Director of Coaching and Performance: Simon Goodwin
Senior Assistant Coach: Ben Mathews
Assistant Coach: Amon Buchanan
Assistant Coach: Mark McVeigh (Defense)
Assistant Coach: Jeremy Laidler (Forwards)
Development Coach: Adam Kennedy
High Performance: Shane Lehane

Executive Director - Club Performance: John Longmire
Head of Academy: Wayne Campbell

Head of Recruitment: Chris Keane
National Recruiting Manager John Giramondo
Stewart Edge - Recruiting officer Vic, QLD NSW
Ross Monaghan - Recruiting officer (SA, WA)

VFL Coach - Nick Malceski

 

[Kiama Chris]

A couple of things Paps mentioned in his podcast:

As well as overseeing the coaches, Goody is also looking after attack (assuming team attack?)

He also told a story about how if it wasn't for running into Paps after he was sacked he may not have considered coming to us, and Paps had put the idea into his head!

Laidler has been really good and impressed with his coaching and teaching, brought some really nice stuff over from the Giants

Mentioned Malceski but got cut off, but said overall, the coaching recruitment has been elite.

Remembered this tonight and had a look to see if I could find anything further. I couldn't.
The list at the top doesn't allocate specific responsibilities to Mathews or Buchanon so there is only Laids as Forwards and Spike as Defence line coaches and there's nothing further on any specific responsibilities that Goodwin might have, such as strategy etc.
I'm particularly interested in the approach towards the midfield.
Anyone know anything?

 

[bedford]

Remembered this tonight and had a look to see if I could find anything further. I couldn't.
The list at the top doesn't allocate specific responsibilities to Mathews or Buchanon so there is only Laids as Forwards and Spike as Defence line coaches and there's nothing further on any specific responsibilities that Goodwin might have, such as strategy etc.
I'm particularly interested in the approach towards the midfield.
Anyone know anything?

I'm sure we will have it all organised

 

[Kiama Chris]

I'm sure we will have it all organised

No doubt but I'm curious as to who does what. I've expressed a wish to have a specialist midfield coach for a long time.

 

[bedford]

No doubt but I'm curious as to who does what. I've expressed a wish to have a specialist midfield coach for a long time.

There always is , but specialist ?

 

[Kiama Chris]

There always is , but specialist ?

You know, someone who specialises.
I don't believe any of these guys do but hopefully whoever gets the job does it well. Port I think had two guys, one a general line coach and the other a tactician. Might have misremembered but someone did. Who do you think has a good midfield tactically?
Definitely not:
Adelaide, Carlton, Essendon, Melbourne (now), North, Saints, Tigers, Eagles
Definitely:
Brisbane, Pies, Freo, Cats, Port, GCS
Maybe:
Giants, Hawks, Dogs, Swans

 

[bedford]

You know, someone who specialises.
I don't believe any of these guys do but hopefully whoever gets the job does it well. Port I think had two guys, one a general line coach and the other a tactician. Might have misremembered but someone did. Who do you think has a good midfield tactically?
Definitely not:
Adelaide, Carlton, Essendon, Melbourne (now), North, Saints, Tigers, Eagles
Definitely:
Brisbane, Pies, Freo, Cats, Port, GCS
Maybe:
Giants, Hawks, Dogs, Swans

But we really don't know, those clubs might have a great midfield coach , but the forward and defence line coaches are no good and really there is no way any of us would know unless inside the club

 

[Kiama Chris]

But we really don't know, those clubs might have a great midfield coach , but the forward and defence line coaches are no good and really there is no way any of us would know unless inside the club

You didn't answer the question. That's fine, you're not obliged to, but there's no point in engaging if all you do is negate the discussion with a lack of knowledge.

 

[Adnico26Parker]

The club website lists all of the coaches' responsibilities on their individual profiles - https://www.sydneyswans.com.au/afl/coaches

Hun/Code also did a summary of all 18 clubs' line ups last week: https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/c...x/news-story/99e74c290c4768c319842dd6df42f2fa

Based off of the recent coaching announcements, Mathews also is a Senior Assistant coach

Dean Cox

Dean Cox

Age

44

Ht

203cm

Wt

107kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.9

4star

K

8.9

3star

HB

6.9

4star

M

5.3

5star

T

1.5

3star

G

0.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

13.0

4star

K

5.8

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

1.4

4star

G

0.0

1star

- Senior Coach

Simon Goodwin

Simon Goodwin

Age

49

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

20.9

5star

K

12.1

4star

HB

8.8

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.5

4star

No current season stats available

D

9.4

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

2.2

2star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.2

4star

- Director of Coaching & Performance

Mark McVeigh

Mark Mcveigh

Age

45

Ht

184cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.1

4star

K

11.6

4star

HB

5.5

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

3.0

5star

No current season stats available

D

18.4

5star

K

13.6

5star

HB

4.8

4star

M

5.6

5star

T

2.0

4star

- Assistant Coach (Defence)

Ben Mathews

Ben Mathews

Age

47

Ht

182cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.8

4star

K

9.2

4star

HB

6.6

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.5

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.2

2star

K

4.8

2star

HB

3.4

3star

M

1.2

2star

T

1.0

3star

- Assistant Coach (Midfield)

Jeremy Laidler

Jeremy Laidler

Age

36

Ht

190cm

Wt

91kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.4

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

6.8

4star

M

3.7

4star

T

2.0

4star

MG

201.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

14.4

4star

K

7.0

3star

HB

7.4

5star

M

3.8

4star

T

3.4

5star

- Assistant Coach (Forwards)

Amon Buchanan

Amon Buchanan

Age

43

Ht

179cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.6

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

8.0

5star

M

3.7

4star

T

3.2

5star

G

0.5

3star

No current season stats available

D

6.6

2star

K

2.8

1star

HB

3.8

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

0.6

3star

G

0.2

3star

- Assistant Coach (Forwards and Ball Movement)

Nick Malceski

Nick Malceski

Age

41

Ht

189cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.7

5star

K

13.1

5star

HB

5.6

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.5

4star

MG

342.5

5star

No current season stats available

D

6.4

2star

K

4.2

2star

HB

2.2

2star

M

2.0

3star

T

0.6

3star

- VFL Coach

Adam Kennedy

40

Adam Kennedy

Age

33

Ht

183cm

Wt

80kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.9

4star

K

8.4

3star

HB

6.5

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

1.8

4star

MG

245.6

4star

D

1.0

1star

K

1.0

1star

HB

0.0

1star

M

0.0

1star

T

0.0

1star

MG

10.0

1star

D

18.6

5star

K

9.8

4star

HB

8.8

5star

M

4.0

4star

T

1.4

4star

- Development Coach

Wayne Campbell - Head of Academies

 

[bedford]

You didn't answer the question. That's fine, you're not obliged to, but there's no point in engaging if all you do is negate the discussion with a lack of knowledge.

wow wee who has inside knowledge and you brought it up , so i engaged saying none of us really know

 

[bedford]

The club website lists all of the coaches' responsibilities on their individual profiles - https://www.sydneyswans.com.au/afl/coaches

Hun/Code also did a summary of all 18 clubs' line ups last week: https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/c...x/news-story/99e74c290c4768c319842dd6df42f2fa

Based off of the recent coaching announcements, Mathews also is a Senior Assistant coach

Dean Cox - Senior Coach

Simon Goodwin - Director of Coaching & Performance

Mark McVeigh - Assistant Coach (Defence)

Ben Mathews - Assistant Coach (Midfield)

Jeremy Laidler - Assistant Coach (Forwards)

Amon Buchanan - Assistant Coach (Forwards and Ball Movement)

Nick Malceski - VFL Coach

Adam Kennedy - Development Coach

Wayne Campbell - Head of Academies

You would think that ball movement would include the midfield
I've always liked and rated Ben , but as i said before , unless inside we don't know
We do have a great diversity of coaches now from 7 different clubs , just what we needed , it gets away from Macca who had never seen anything but red and white

 

[Kiama Chris]

The club website lists all of the coaches' responsibilities on their individual profiles - https://www.sydneyswans.com.au/afl/coaches

Hun/Code also did a summary of all 18 clubs' line ups last week: https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/c...x/news-story/99e74c290c4768c319842dd6df42f2fa

Based off of the recent coaching announcements, Mathews also is a Senior Assistant coach

Dean Cox - Senior Coach

Simon Goodwin - Director of Coaching & Performance

Mark McVeigh - Assistant Coach (Defence)

Ben Mathews - Assistant Coach (Midfield)

Jeremy Laidler - Assistant Coach (Forwards)

Amon Buchanan - Assistant Coach (Forwards and Ball Movement)

Nick Malceski - VFL Coach

Adam Kennedy - Development Coach

Wayne Campbell - Head of Academies

Thanks A26P. The Swans site only reveals their 2025 responsibilities and sadly the Hun's paywall is too high for me but I reckon what you say is more than likely right.
A focus on ball movement is no bad thing.

 

[bedford]

Thanks A26P. The Swans site only reveals their 2025 responsibilities and sadly the Hun's paywall is too high for me but I reckon what you say is more than likely right.
A focus on ball movement is no bad thing.

You can avoid the HUn paywall by getting Code , it's about the 3rd of the price and then you can find news stories

 

[Adnico26Parker]

Thanks A26P. The Swans site only reveals their 2025 responsibilities and sadly the Hun's paywall is too high for me but I reckon what you say is more than likely right.
A focus on ball movement is no bad thing.

The list I posted is what Code stated. Taken on face value, it appears there is little or no change for 2026, other than the additions of Goodwin and Laidler, and Mathews listed by the club as a Senior Assistant.

 

[Punts]

Goodwins teams there best where always great structurally behind the ball. Yes he had May , lever etc but defence first was him.

I’m hoping that’s what he brings to us , we need to get in the top 2/4 defensively sound team.

 

[bedford]

Goodwins teams there best where always great structurally behind the ball. Yes he had May , lever etc but defence first was him.

I’m hoping that’s what he brings to us , we need to get in the top 2/4 defensively sound team.

That can springboard into attack

 

[Wolfgang West]

That can springboard into attack

Its a basic football fundamental. Trouble Is these days the overload of stats and rubbish spewed by over paid hack football analysts make it seem like rocket science. Do the basics well and execute your skills and you win games of football.

 

[Punts]

Its a basic football fundamental. Trouble Is these days the overload of stats and rubbish spewed by over paid hack football analysts make it seem like rocket science. Do the basics well and execute your skills and you win games of football.

Pretty much Longmires press conferences and what he was all about

 

[Wolfgang West]

Pretty much Longmires press conferences and what he was all about

Longmire may have lacked something in being able to win on the big day but it sure wasn't teaching players. This mantra stands the test of time in Australian Rules Footy.

 

[bedford]

Its a basic football fundamental. Trouble Is these days the overload of stats and rubbish spewed by over paid hack football analysts make it seem like rocket science. Do the basics well and execute your skills and you win games of football.

This

 

[Adnico26Parker]

Welcome Stewart!

VFL premiership coach lands at the Swans

Stewart Edge joins Sydney's revamped off-field group for 2026

www.afl.com.au

 

[Cadsky]

I can't remember a time we had this much change in the coaching department. Typically with this many changes you'd think it was caused by a lot of staff turnover and your club is probably going backwards but this feels different, were adding without too many losses of significance (except perhaps that of Tom Harley but you'd have to think Pav has had a lot to do with the guys that have been recruited) and the calibre of coaches being recruited has all be top quality rather than taking the scraps left over from other clubs.

It certainly feels like we're building off the field, let's hope it translates to on the field.

 

[crankygeese]

Welcome Stewart!

VFL premiership coach lands at the Swans

Stewart Edge joins Sydney's revamped off-field group for 2026

www.afl.com.au

Sounds like another good pickup with a good pedigree.

I'm guessing this is the last off field signing we'll be making? I know we've been running a very lean ship staff wise for a while, and had been one or two people short in pretty much every department since COVID, but we'd have to be close to having a complete off-field team now wouldn't we?

The only team that I can think of that might need another person is high performance? Unless I've missed a hiring announcement there.

At any rate, I'm glad we've got all this sorted this off season with time to spare. They might not be "sexy" hirings, but they're important for a footy club.

 

[Ticky009]

I can't remember a time we had this much change in the coaching department. Typically with this many changes you'd think it was caused by a lot of staff turnover and your club is probably going backwards but this feels different, were adding without too many losses of significance (except perhaps that of Tom Harley but you'd have to think Pav has had a lot to do with the guys that have been recruited) and the calibre of coaches being recruited has all be top quality rather than taking the scraps left over from other clubs.

It certainly feels like we're building off the field, let's hope it translates to on the field.

Yeah, there's no sense of panic or anything like that. It just feels like we've identified gaps in our coaching skills that needed to be filled.

 

[Ticky009]

Recruiting Dept now looks like this:

Head of Recruitment: Chris Keane
National Recruiting Manager John Giramondo.
Stewart Edge - Recruiting officer Vic, QLD NSW
Ross Monaghan - Recruiting officer (SA, WA)

 

[bedford]

Thanks Adnico26 Parker lol