SYDNEY coach Scott Gowans has returned to run pre-season training after being diagnosed with prostate cancer at the start of April.
Senior assistant coach Nick Davis had been helping coordinate the off-season training programs in Gowans' absence.
Official pre-season began on Monday this week, with Gowans back in charge.
"Yeah, he's really good at the moment. He is back in the club and I think he's been back for a week or two now, so he's ready to go," star recruit Lucy McEvoy told womens.afl.
"He's out there training, giving us directions and he's taken full control again, which is great to have him back.
"Nick Davis and the other coaches did a great job while he was away resting and it's good to have the whole crew back together."
"You have to act like winners, before you become winners"
— Sydney Swans AFLW (@SydneySwansAFLW) May 30, 2023
A powerful opening address from Scott Gowans to the playing group ahead of day one of pre-season training.#GoSwans pic.twitter.com/Nn2i1M5I7r
In a video on the club site, Gowans said he was looking forward to a full pre-season after a crammed edition last year amid the club's initial AFLW list build, with the squad set to attend a training camp in Coffs Harbour this weekend.
"I've seen a big improvement, which is nice, they've obviously done a lot of work to prep themselves for tonight. It's also just good to get going, a bit of enjoyment, I think that's a big part of it as well," Gowans said.
"We want to focus not just on our first game, but our journey. Part of our journey is building a legacy for the club, and we want to set standards that others will follow. That's really the message, to be honest. Hopefully what that does do is the wins become part of the process and the training becomes part of the process.
"This year we can plan it a little bit better. [The camp] is a connection piece as well, a lot of it will be about connection, connection with the community – it's part of our area, and we want to put back into the area. Hopefully we can pass on a bit to the next group of girls who are coming through the academies, it's a big part of what we do and part of our legacy as well."
The full interview with Lucy McEvoy will be released in the coming weeks as part of the Passing the Torch podcast series, touching on leaving Carlton, her move to Sydney, last year's shoulder injury and playing local footy with Nina Morrison and Liv Purcell.
