SYDNEY AFLW coach Scott Gowans has departed the club after the Swans dramatically missed finals across the weekend.

It's understood Sydney players were told that Gowans would step aside at a team meeting on Thursday morning, despite him being contracted through until 2027.

The news comes after Sydney lost six of its last eight matches – including a shock defeat to Essendon on Saturday night – to sensationally crash out of finals contention.

The Swans had started the year 4-0 to emerge as one of the most exciting young teams in the competition, before their stunning end-of-season collapse.

They needed to beat the Bombers on Saturday night to qualify for a finals position, but lost by three points to end a dismal run where the side failed to beat 14th, 15th and 17th on the ladder in a matter of weeks.

The decision is new Sydney chief executive Matthew Pavlich's first significant call in charge, having only started in his new role in August.

Gowans has led Sydney's AFLW program since its inception in 2022, guiding one of the League's most recent women's expansion sides throughout its first four years in the competition.

He helped the Swans make the AFLW finals for the first time in 2023, where they qualified through to a semi-final, while he had a 16-29 overall record across his four seasons at the helm.

Gowans had previously spent two years in charge of North Melbourne as its maiden AFLW coach.

"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. 

"I would like to thank the Swans for the opportunity and wish the team all the success in the future."

Sydney CEO Matthew Pavlich thanked Gowans for his work in building the Swans' inaugural AFLW squad. 

"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. 

"Beyond his role as a coach, Scott has been a passionate advocate for women’s sport. His tenure has been marked by vision, resilience, and a commitment to empowering his players."

"On behalf of everyone at the club I would like to thank Scott for his enormous contribution to both our club and to women’s football.