Swan Districts are gearing up for the 2026 WAFL season starting Easter longer weekend, when they take on South Fremantle at home on Good Friday.

After finishing 8th with a record of 6 wins and 12 losses last season, the Swans are hoping to rise up the ladder this year.

Head Coach Andrew Pruyn joined Sports Breakfast this morning to talk all things recruitment and preseason training.

Pruyn said the addition of younger players to their league side is something they’re hoping can provide success in years to come.

“With the exception of Clint Hinchcliffe, we’ve gone after quite a lot of younger sort of guys, the 19 to 21 year olds.”

“We’ve added a 19 year old ruckman, a couple of forwards, a rebounding halfback and sort of a utility inside mid-type in Kade Chalcraft.”

Pruyn is hoping Kade can add some spark to the young side alongside brother Jye who will be entering his third season at the Swans.

“I think Kade’s probably a bit more versatile than Jye, he can probably play in multiple positions, so we’ll see that as the season unfolds,” he said.

“Jye is still working back from a bit of a foot injury, so he hasn’t joined the main group yet, but certainly Kade has the ability to go through the midfield, play forward and do roles for us, so we’re excited to see him and what he’s going to bring to us.”

The VFL system has been a prominent hunting ground for Swan Districts, seeing the addition of at least five new players coming from Victoria in 2026.

“With obviously the exception of Clint, who we got out of the amateurs, we picked up Simon Haywood as well – former Perth product also out of the amateurs – the rest in Lucas Impey, Zac Provest, Jez Rigoni, Kade Chalcraft, Caleb Ernst… they all come out of the Victorian VFL system.”

The colts system at the Swans is another avenue they will be looking at to add more star power to their league side.

“Our colts system has done and proven over time that it can produce some really good kids and we’re really conscious about making sure that there’s a position for those kids. We don’t want to fill the team full of recruits and not be able to bring our own kids through.”

“Graduating this year will be Blake Kelly who I’d expect to play senior footy. We’ve still got the likes of Otis Harvey and Luke Cottellessa, these types of guys that we’re going to play and get to the level and be really, really good servants of our footy club in years to come.”

The Head Coach is hoping to rise further up the ladder toward finals footy this year, positive that the new additions of young talent will prime the side for future success.

“The comp can fluctuate so quickly and if you get it right and you can get close to having your best 23 players out on the park then yeah, I think that it’s been proven that you can really skyrocket up the ladder.”

“I’d be pushing that we should be around that top five mark to try and push for finals this year.”

IMAGE: Swan Districts FC