NSW Academies: Are Swans or Giants on top of local talent war?

The Swans are Giants are set to do battle this weekend on the field, but their rivalry for local talent is just as fierce off the field. See which club comes out on top in the NSW Academy race.

It’s the topic that continually stirs up debate south of the border, but when it comes to the battle for NSW footy talent, who has the upper hand?

The Swans and Giants Academy have established themselves over the past decade as great talent pathways, with players graduating to not only play at the two Sydney-based clubs, but across the entire AFL. The success comes on the back of heavy investment from both clubs in trying to gain a foothold in their respective regions.

In total, 25 players from the Swans’ Academy have graduated to an AFL list, while the Giants have seen a massive 59 players eventually progress through their pathway into a senior squad.

This weekend in the 30th edition of the Sydney Derby, at least eight of the 46 players who take to the field will have graduated through either of the Academies as the pipeline of NSW talent continues to grow in the AFL.

However, with the Swans’ current injury crisis leading some to question the depth of the their current squad, which club has received the most benefit from their local pipeline? And as the battle for hearts and minds continues for footy in NSW, is there even more success around the corner?

Isaac Heeney and Tom Green will be going head to head as two of the Swans and Giants’ respective Academy players in this week’s Sydney Derby. Picture: Phil Hillyard

SWANS’ ACADEMY

There’s no doubt that when it comes to top-end talent, the Swans Academy has got the Giants covered.

The Swans’ current Academy zone consists of a large majority of metropolitan Sydney, the Shellharbour, Southern Highlands, Hunter regions and the north-eastern corridor of NSW stretching to Grafton and Lightning Ridge.

Five Sydney Academy players have been taken in the first round of the Draft, while six players have gone on to play at least 70 games for the club in the AFL.

Understandably Isaac Heeney heads the list, the dual All-Australian is the jewel of the Swans’ crown after the Hunter product committed to the Academy, turned his back on other sports in the region including rugby league and has since become a bonafide superstar.

He’s not alone in terms of All-Australian talent with current captain Callum Mills, Nick Blakey and Errol Gulden all receiving blazers in recent years on the back of their form.

The Swans have also been far more cautious when it comes to adding Academy talent to their list. Of the 20 players that they have selected either through the draft or placed on the rookie list, only three went through their career without playing an AFL game. Will Edwards and Indhi Kirk remain on the Swans list as they search for a senior debut.

It means that on average, Academy players who make it onto the Swans list play 44 games for the club. The likes of Heeney and Mills push that figure up, but it’s equally balanced by the likes of Jack Hiscox (one game), Jordan Foote (six games) and Marc Sheather (three games).

The Swans’ list in 2015 was full of Academy talent, with the trend continuing in more recent seasons. Picture: Brett Costello

There has also been far less interest from across the competition in Sydney’s talent pathway. Only five players from the Swans Academy have ended up on lists at other clubs, including most recently Joel Cochrane who was taken by Collingwood with the 47th pick in 2024. Lachlan McAndrew became just the second Swans Academy product to be delisted and move to another club after he was placed on Adelaide’s list this season.

Josh Dunkley is one player that played on occasion for the Swans Academy, but was eligible for Sydney through the Father-Son rule and was not included in this total.

GIANTS’ ACADEMY

While the Swans might have the Giants covered in terms of high-profile talent who have impacted their side, it’s fair to say that the GWS Academy has been far more influential in spreading talent across the competition.

In total, 59 players have graduated from the GWS Academy to be on an AFL list since 2012. That includes a large proportion of players in the club’s early years from the Albury/Murray region, although a rule change in 2017 changed the Giants’ ability to draft players from that area.

Currently, the Giants’ Academy zone begins in areas such as Auburn, Parramatta and Campbelltown, and stretches to the perimertres of the state, including all of the ACT.

Harry Himmelberg is the graduate who has played the most games for the Giants. Since emerging out of Wagga Wagga and travelling back and forth to Canberra to play his junior footy, the defender has played 184 games in the orange and charcoal and is signed with the club until the end of the 2029 season.

Harry Himmelberg has played the most games for the Giants of their Academy graduates. Picture: Phil Hillyard

The majority of the players on the list have actually been selected by other clubs with 31 of the 58 Academy talents not spending any time on the Giants list. While the average games played for Academy talent on the Giants list is 36.6 matches, slightly below the Swans, the average total AFL games played by GWS Academy players is 41.6, putting them above their cross-town rivals.

Like the Swans, the Giants have six Academy players who have played more than 70 games for the club. While impressively, they have 10 graduates who have played more than 100 AFL games, with Tom Green to join that club in the next fortnight.

One thing the Giants are eager to fast track is the number of players specifically from Western Sydney who are playing in the AFL. Among the current list are ruckman Kieren Briggs, rookie Josaia Delana and the recently departed James Peatling in Adelaide, however, Giants CEO David Matthews believes the club should get more direct access to them.

“Our view, which we have submitted to the AFL is we should have access but you have to remove the bidding system for a period of time,” Matthews told the Herald Sun in February.

“Because the bidding system is just an impediment to what we are all trying to do, which is deepen the AFL pool. There is so much choice for a young athlete so you have to give them a clear path to the AFL.

“Western Sydney has to be a different solution to other parts of Australia, because it represents such a huge opportunity for the AFL.”

While departed Academy players like Harry Perryman and Isaac Cumming have been integral to the Giants, the club wants more Western Sydney talent progressing through its pathway. Picture: Phil Hillyard

VERDICT AND FUTURE

In terms of which team has generated more success from their Academy, the Swans take the spoils over their little brother on the back of their on-field success.

The core group of Heeney, Mills, Blakey and Gulden have been integral to their two grand final appearances in the past three seasons. They have also helped speed up any supposed rebuild for the club, particularly in the 2019 and 2020 seasons when they had rare years outside of finals.

However, the Giants have probably achieved the right balance of prioritising both the Academy and the draft. While the likes of Kieren Briggs and Tom Green have become key pillars of their midfield, diamonds in the draft rough such as Sam Taylor, Brent Daniels and Connor Idun is where the majority of their success has come from.

They also have a handful of highly-touted Academy players currently dominating at VFL level including the likes of Phoenix Gothard, Nathan Wardius, Harry Rowston and Nick Madden. If they all progress into the senior side, it will become a smorgasbord of NSW talent.

But the next 12 months could prove to be one of the most defining years yet for the Swans’ Academy. If their on-field struggles continue, they could be forced to reset post-season, and the looming draft has plenty of Sydney Academy talent.

Youngster Max King is currently rated as a potential top-10 prospect, but is one of four players alongside Kaiden McNamara, Lachlan Carmichael and Noah Chamberlain rated in the this masthead’s top 75 prospects with talent expert Kevin Sheehan.

It could mean the Swans look at adding a quartet of young, local talent to their list in what would be the biggest Academy haul the club has seen in over a decade, starting a new period of regeneration for the club.

Originally published as NSW Academies: Are Swans or Giants on top of local talent war?