Ever wondered how the journey to elite sport begins?
This season, new docuseries Young Bloods will take fans behind the scenes of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy, where many of the 700 boys and girls hold aspirations of being among the next generation of AFL players.
Blending documentary footage with vision from players themselves, fans can follow the journey from the locker-room to the field.
The 30-part series will be featured on TikTok, providing a glimpse into how these young athletes immerse themselves in the bloods culture and compete for selection on the pathway towards the AFL or AFLW draft.
The docuseries will be created by Sydney-based production company Hustle Media, including director/producer Hugh Humphreys and producer Sarah Neill (Just One: A Story of Hope), alongside executive producer Rosie Lourde (White Fever, Starting from Now).
Sydney Swans Executive General Manager – Marketing and Communications, Loretta Johns, said the Swans are looking forward to sharing stories about the club’s youngest athletes.
“We’re always exploring opportunities to create content tailored to our different fan segments, so I was particularly interested when Hustle Media approached us about telling the stories of young athletes from their perspective, tailored to a platform their peers engage with.
“With 700 boys and girls in our QBE Sydney Swans Academy there are plenty of stories that are yet untold, and while Young Bloods will touch on just a few of those, we hope it will inspire more young people to continue engaging in sport.”
Hustle Media has already commenced filming, with the series expected to be released later this year.
“Telling the story of a season at the QBE Sydney Swans Academy means hearing the voices of young athletes who come from very different backgrounds, and all over NSW,” Hustle Media director and producer Hugh Humphreys said.
“In Young Bloods, we’re not only following boys and girls as they work towards the dream of the AFL and AFLW, but we’re also telling the story partly through their own eyes, as they contribute their own self-filmed footage to bring the series to life.
“We’re so excited to be able to share the dedication of this new generation of athletes.”
Young Bloods is financed by Screen Australia, in association with Screen NSW, with support from Her Sport Her Way, QBE, and the Sydney Swans.
