Paul Roos, now head coach of the new QBE Sydney Swans Academy, explains what it will mean for young AFL players in NSW, and the long-term benefits for the Swans.

Q) How important is the QBE Sydney Swans Academy for the future of Australian football in NSW?

Paul Roos: Personally, I think it’s one of the most significant things that’s happened to the Swans since they came to Sydney in 1982. With this Academy, if we do it right then we’re going to be developing a lot of good young football players to go straight from the Academy into the Swans senior team.

Q) What direct impacts do you see on the young people who are going to be involved, and is the Academy purely about football skills?

Roos: We’ll have a vision for the Academy which we’re in the process of formulating at the moment. It’s not just about developing Sydney Swans players, we have plenty of other things we want to achieve. We think it’s going to be a great experience for the kids going into the Academy, and they’re going to come out better people and footballers at the end of it.

Q) What specific impacts do you think the participants will have on their local clubs when they return?

Roos: We’re also trying to create a football culture, and a big part of that is we want kids going back to their clubs talking with their team-mates about their experiences. The thing is, we don’t have to draft them till they’re 17 or 18, so even though it’s an elite Academy at its core, it’s still going to be an inclusive Academy in practice.

Q) The Raffle is raising funds for the Academy. Why is the support of the members and fans of the Sydney Swans so important to establishing the Academy?

Roos: I think this is going to be one of the most significant things to happen to this football club, as it’s going to give us the chance to remain competitive in to the future. If the members want us to remain competitive as we have been, then we need them to support the Academy, and of course they can do that by going to the website and buying some raffle tickets. The Academy is going to ensure the sustained success for our football club - support the QBE Sydney Swans Academy Raffle

Q) What impact can the QBE Sydney Swans Academy have on the future of the Sydney Swans?

Roos: You only have to look back at the last 20 years to see all the really good New South Wales kids coming through into AFL footy. We have to give these kids more opportunities and provide an elite program to have more elite players come out at the end of it.

Q) So what are the key outcomes that you want to achieve in the first year of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy?

Roos: The first one is probably creating a footy culture and environment, I think that’s really important. We’re also going to be providing a great experience for the kids and then of course providing really good coaching and mentoring.

Q) What advice would you give to any of the young players who are trialling for the Academy?

Roos: My advice would be to enjoy it, and don’t think that the next tryouts are the last tryouts. If you’re an 11 year old and you’ve missed out, don’t think you’ve missed out forever. Just keep trying and work hard, try to be the best footy player you can be.

Q) What resources or equipment is critical for the Academy to ensure optimal development of young footballers?

Roos: We want to provide one of the great facilities in Australia for the talent we have coming through, and the more money we can get the more likely we are to provide these great facilities for the kids. We need to ensure we’re getting the support of all our stakeholders to ensure the success of the Academy.

Q) How will your experience on the big stage translate to coaching youngsters at the QBE Sydney Swans Academy?

Roos: Well, I think coaching at senior level is actually not dissimilar to coaching kids. We’re going to be coaching very similar qualities for the Academy players that we do with the senior team, those being a strong work ethic and quality of character. At the Academy we’ll try and teach them like seniors and teach them how AFL players live and play.

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