RETIRED Geelong and GWS star Steve Johnson will join Sydney as an assistant coach for the next three seasons.
Former Swans star Tadhg Kennelly will also join John Longmire's team as an assistant.
Johnson, who has long prepared for a move into coaching ranks, is seen as a major coup for the Swans, who recently lost assistant Henry Playfair to St Kilda and could yet lose Gold Coast senior coaching candidate Stuart Dew.
After 293 games, Johnson was seen as one of the sharpest football minds in playing ranks and was highly sought as an assistant by rival clubs last year and again this year.
He had offers to join Melbourne clubs, and GWS made a pitch to retain him as well after 40 games across 2016 and 2017.
It is understood a deal for Johnson until the end of 2020 will be confirmed by the club.
Johnson has completed the Next Coach Program with coaching veteran David Wheadon, which has been highly successful in preparing players to make a quick transition into coaching ranks.
Kennelly played 197 games for the Swans and was part of the 2005 premiership team.
The Irishman has held coaching and development roles with the AFL since his retirement from playing in 2011.
Nick Davis will become the talent and development manager for the academy, while NEAFL coach Rhyce Shaw has been promoted to a role as assistant.
Shaw won an AFL Coaches' Association award last Tuesday for assistant coach of the year.
Recently retired backman Jeremy Laidler has transitioned into a role as a development coach.
"Steve Johnson and Tadhg Kennelly will bring new ideas and a fresh perspective whilst Rhyce Shaw's promotion from NEAFL coach to the senior coaching panel highlights how highly we regard him," Swans football manager Tom Harley told sydneyswans.com.au.
"We continually look at ways to improve and innovate and our 2018 coaching panel led by John Longmire provides us an opportunity to do so."
Hall of Fame legend and coaching mentor David Parkin told AFL.com.au last month that Johnson would make an immediate impact as a coach.
"I've spent enough time with him now to know that's a commitment he made two or three years ago when playing football was still his major focus," Parkin said.
"He got his head into that space and was doing something about it.
"I've had a bit to do with him, because he came and did the Level Two coaching course and we started to share a bit of coaching information.
"We've shared a number of conversations and a number of articles and books and things that he's been fascinated to follow up."
Johnson was presented with two firm offers to start coaching in 2017 when he travelled to Melbourne at the end of last season to interview with clubs.
A third club wanted to secure Johnson as a coach at a later date, while GWS had an offer for the Norm Smith medallist to transition into coaching when he retired.
Johnson announced his retirement last month. The star forward played in two of his three premierships with Tom Harley, who is now Sydney's general manager of football.
