Swans set to use rugby league’s inner west ‘jewel’ as AFLW home ground

The jewel in the crown of rugby league grounds is poised to become a permanent refuge for a rival code, as the Sydney Swans zero in on a new-look Henson Park as the likely home of their new AFLW team.

The AFL is pushing for a $7 million redevelopment of the iconic Marrickville venue, where the Newtown Jets have played since 1937, to make it ready for AFLW matches for the Swans’ first season in the competition late next year.

The AFL’s proposal for a refurbished grandstand at Henson Park.

Inner West Council last month adopted a new 10-year plan of management for Henson Park, including concept drawings for a refurbished grandstand submitted by the AFL, which is determined to address Sydney’s dire shortage of ovals fit for elite-level football.

The council also provided a letter of support for the Swans’ AFLW bid submission, which was officially approved on Thursday as they and three other clubs were granted entry to the competition.

Swans chief executive Tom Harley described Henson Park and the plans for female-friendly change rooms and improved media facilities, potentially including broadcast-standard floodlights, as a “really attractive opportunity” for the code.

“Clearly a supportive council goes a long way towards upgrading the facilities to meet elite AFLW aspirations,” he said.“Henson Park is an oval that has worked uniquely really well as a multi-sport field with the Jets and importantly, it doesn’t have a cricket wicket. With the moving of the [AFLW] competition to summer that becomes extremely important.

The Swans have almost 300 girls in their academy program – and from late next year, they’ll have an AFLW team to aspire to.

“Like everything, it ultimately comes down to funding, and we’ll work with all the stakeholders required to make sure we get the best possible outcome.”

The addition of the Swans, Port Adelaide, Hawthorn and Essendon to the AFLW will ensure that all 18 clubs will have women’s divisions from the season after next, starting in late 2022.

“Simply, the competition is now whole,” said AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan.

Sydney did not apply for an AFLW licence when the league launched in 2017, primarily because of a lack of suitable facilities for both training and playing matches. Both those issues look set to be addressed between now and the Swans’ first women’s match.

Inner West Council has just completed a $2.5 million improvement of Henson Park’s turf and drainage, with the next stage of the redevelopment – if approved over the coming months – anticipated to be jointly funded by the council, the NSW government, AFL and the Jets, who are supportive of the plans and would continue to play NSW Cup matches at their spiritual home during the winter.

McLachlan has made regular visits to Sydney to meet with government officials and press the AFL’s case for upgraded facilities to support the code’s surge in viewership and participation in NSW.

AFL intra-club and pre-season matches have been played at Henson Park for several years, but the amenities at the ground are “well below community standards for sporting use” and no longer fit for purpose, according to minutes from a council meeting last month. The proposed work to the heritage-listed grandstand is modest and would not detract from the ground’s unique features and atmosphere.

As for where the Swans’ women will train, COVID-19 did force the abandonment of a planned $70 million renovation of the Royal Hall of Industries next to the SCG, which would have housed both the AFLW team and netball’s NSW Swifts.

Harley would not speak in detail but said the club was working on “reigniting” that project and had “extremely strong confidence” the Swans would have expanded facilities in time for their first season in the AFLW.

Meanwhile, Harley said the Swans were keen to appoint a female coach to head their AFLW program but stopped short of committing to doing so in year one.

“Our preference is reasonably straightforward – it’s to have the best coach for your program. The natural disposition most people have is to ensure clubs have a [AFLW] head coach who’s a female,” Harley said.

“I don’t think you’d get anyone who would dispute that, but what we need to do just as importantly is make sure we’ve got the right pipeline and opportunity for women coming through.

“We’re going to have this critical mass of women coming through who have played and as a result of that I’ve got no doubt the pool will deepen, and deepen pretty quickly, of coaches. We’ve got to make sure we fill our cup at all levels and if that means we have a female head coach from the get-go, fantastic – but what we will be doing is keep nourishing the pipeline of female coaches coming through.”

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