The Sydney Swans are in need of a new AFLW head coach after parting ways with Scott Gowans.
Gowans was the Swans’ inaugural AFLW coach and has led the club through the previous four campaigns.
His exit comes after the Swans lost six of their last eight games in 2025 to miss out on the finals on percentage.
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Sydney started the season with four consecutive wins and still could have made the finals with a win in the final round.
But an upset three-point loss to lowly Essendon ended their season, and was ultimately Gowans’s last match in charge of the club.
In a statement released by the Swans, Gowans said he was proud of what has been built since its first AFLW season.
“Watching our athletes grow and develop has been truly rewarding — they have come such a long way over the past four seasons, and I believe the group is capable of achieving great things,” Gowans said.
“Building our list from scratch and guiding the team to where it is today is something I am incredibly proud of. While the decision to step away has been a difficult one, the time feels right for new leadership to take the team forward.”
Gowans was the inaugural AFLW coach for North Melbourne when the club entered the competition in 2019, then was an assistant at Collingwood before taking the head job at the Swans.
Sydney was winless in their first season in 2022, but improved in 2023 to a 6-4 record and a maiden finals appearance.
The Swans defeated the Gold Coast Suns in the elimination final, before falling to Adelaide the following week.
The Swans would not make the finals in the following two seasons.
Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich praised the departing Gowans as “a passionate advocate for women’s sport”
“Scott can be incredibly proud of his distinguished career as the senior coach of our AFLW team. Building a team from scratch is no small feat and we have seen that team grow and improve over the journey so far,” Pavlich said.
“His tenure has been marked by vision, resilience, and a commitment to empowering his players.”
