Hamish forges his own path with the Swans

Hamish Anderson is set to make his mark on the AFL talent pathway when he steps out with the Sydney Swans Academy against the GWS Giants Academy in Canberra tomorrow.

The match is Round 1 of the Male Northern Academy Series, which is a key element of the Swans Academy’s preparation for their involvement in the 2022 NAB League Boys under 19 talent pathway competition. The NAB League starts in April and is the main avenue for talented players to be spotted by AFL club recruiters and invited to attend the National Draft, so Hamish is extremely keen to put his best foot forward.

The path that Hamish is forging is a well travelled one, having made regular trips from Sawtell to Sydney for Swans Academy training sessions and benchmark testing since November of last year. Despite the long hours in the car, Hamish is more than happy to make the trips.

“The standard at training is extremely high and I can feel how much I’ve developed over the past five months. I’m keen to go as far in the sport as I’m able, and doing the travel is just part of what it means to be an athlete based in a regional area,” Anderson said.

Joining Hamish in the Swans Academy team is older brother Angus, who has already relocated to Sydney to be part of the Swans NAB League and VFL set-ups. However comparisons between the siblings should be avoided as they are very different styles of players. While Angus is a ball winning inside player, Hamish’s attributes are best utilised in an outside running role.

“The Academy has told me that I’ll be playing on a wing and pushing up into the forward line. My role is to cover plenty of territory and deliver the ball to the forwards to create scoring opportunities.”

Still three months shy of his eighteenth birthday, Hamish will be one of the younger players in the Swans Academy Under 19 team. This is a really positive reflection of how highly he’s valued within the Academy program and hopefully bodes well for further opportunities, including in the NAB League.

The match is to be played at Manuka Oval at 2:25pm on Saturday (12 March) and will be live streamed on YouTube.