QBE Swifts Academy - FAQs

Owned and operated by Netball NSW, the NSW Swifts are the most successful Club in Australian National Netball League history. The current National League is Suncorp Super Netball.

Formed in 1997 as the Sydney Swifts, the Club first competed in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy (1997-2007), winning four Premierships in the process (2001, 2004, 2006, 2007).

In 2008 the Club rebranded as the NSW Swifts for the newly-formed trans-Tasman ANZ Championships, claiming another Premiership in the same year to complete an unprecedented three-peat.

In 2017, Netball Australia formed Suncorp Super Netball, with the Swifts ending an 11-year drought for of their sixth Premiership in 2019 before backing it up with their seventh in 2021.  

The biggest name in club netball the world over, the Swifts have a proud history in the Australian sporting landscape. The have been at the pinnacle of the game for over 28 years, and proud of their status as the unrivalled leaders of professional female sports Clubs in NSW.

Some of the greatest players in netball history have worn the yellow and red uniforms of the Swifts. Those greats include Liz Ellis, Cath Cox, Mo’onia Gerrard, Laura Langman, Sharni Layton, Kim Green. Paige Hadley and Susan Pettitt.
The role of the Academy is to provide a Club environment to grow and develop the next generation of Swifts greats.

The QBE Swifts Academy is part of this incredible Swifts Club legacy and provides a pathway of excellence for athletes and coaching staff alike.

The formal program will commence in November for induction, screenings and the establishment of a Strength & Conditioning Program (S&C) and will break in mid-December until late January. 

Structured home training programs will be provided for athletes to complete during this period.

From February to August, the selected athletes will complete S&C and court sessions, and also match play to prepare for the Australian National Championships competition (in its current format) in August/September annually (dates determined by the Netball Australia competition schedule).

Netball Central is the home of the NSW Swifts.  

Our NSW Swifts, Training Partners and QBE Swifts Academy athletes all train and prepare at Netball Central – 2 Olympic Boulevard, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW 2127.

This is also where the Club's Administration is based. 

Each season the coaching/management staff create a training schedule that is supportive of the multi-programming of the athletes.

The scheduling considers competition phases and athlete commitments throughout the year. 

For example:

-	3-4 Strength and Conditioning (S&C) sessions for pre-season (with some on-court conditioning)
-	2 court sessions per week with 2-3 S&C sessions pre-Netball NSW Premier League
-	1 court session per week with 2 S&C sessions during the Premier League competition for Academy athletes
-	Up to 3-4 court sessions and 2-3 S&C session in the preparation period for the ANC Competition.

If you feel you match the criteria above, please fill the below application form below, selecting QBE Swifts Academy. 

Netball NSW calls for nomination forms from athletes each September.  Athletes are encouraged to ask questions, learn about the Swifts Program or consult with their netball network to understand the opportunities the Academy provides.

If you would like to discuss the Swifts Academy program, we would be pleased to receive an email (swiftsacademy@nswswifts.com.au) to connect.  Should you wish to talk with someone, please call 02 9951 5000 to ask for a confidential and informal discussion with the General Manager.

The Academy is required to select athletes that are 17 or older.

Sometimes, athletes may like to speak with a neutral party rather than the Club directly  – and we totally understand that.  Should you like to learn more about the Swifts Academy program, we highly recommend contacting Mardi Aplin, Pathways GM at Netball NSW to have a confidential discussion.  Call 02 9951 5000. 

The majority of athletes in the Academy program, (which commenced in late 2019) play regularly in Netball NSW Premier League competitions or top divisions of their regional Leagues.  

However, there is no set requirement for eligibility.  We strongly encourage people to ask questions and learn more about the program by contacting the Swifts Club or Netball NSW at the time of submitting their nomination forms and interest.

In general, appliacants are chosen from the Netball NSW Premier League competition, State Teams, Netball NSW Emerging Talent Teams or similar standard programs

Selection for the Swifts Academy is done via the nomination form process.  There is no on-court selection session.  

Our selectors have a wide range of options available to them for the selection process and we work closely with Netball NSW when it comes to Talent ID.

The Swifts Academy is a year-round program. Each season the coaching staff create a training schedule to be as supportive of the multi-programs of the athletes as possible.

Refer to the section above ‘When does the Academy train?’ for more details.

The program can select up to 18 athletes each season, plus Swifts Training Partners.

It is based at Netball Central in Sydney Olympic Park.

There are only 12 athletes selected in the QBE Swifts Academy Team to compete in the ANC campaign and the Swifts Academy may have up to 18 athletes in the program each season, as well an NSW Swifts Training Partners.  

Therefore, not all athletes in the Academy are selected for team.

We are player-centred with our care and focus, and accordingly we are mindful of the need for athletes to focus with their elite and/or Premier League teams and activities.  

Each year we aim to select and notify the players of ANC selection in late July.  

This is scheduled by Netball Australia in August or September annually.  The location of the competition is determined by Netball Australia.

Once the location of the 2024 Australian Netball Championships is know we will release it publicly. 

The ANC was broadcast via KAYO Freebies in 2023.  Matches can be re-watched on the link below.