O’Riordan becomes first Irish AFL Head Coach
By Shane Brophy
Colin O'Riordan has been appointed as the new senior head coach of the Sydney Swans AFL Womens team, in the process making history as the first Irish coach of an AFL or AFLW franchise.
The 30-year-old, who won an All-Ireland minor title in 2011 and a Munster senior football title in 2020 with Tipperary, had been initially recruited as a player by the Swans in 2015 before being forced to retire in 2022 due to chronic hip injuries. O’Riordan made 34 AFL appearances during his seven-year playing career with the Swans.
Since then, O'Riordan has remained at the Swans in various coaching roles, including head coach of the U18 male academy and then an assistant coach with the women’s team. He has now stepped up to become the senior coach of the Swans AFL Womens side, the first Irish coach to be entrusted with such a position in Australian Rules.
"Ever since I arrived at the Sydney Swans as a player I fell in love with the place, so to be trusted with the role as AFLW Senior Coach is a huge honour," O'Riordan said of his appointment.
"I have a lot of faith in the current playing list, and I think we have the foundations of a successful team."
O'Riordan, who hails from Killea, Templemore, and went to school at Our Lady’s Templemore, initially broke through as one of the stars of a much-vaunted generation of Tipperary footballers, starting at wing-back on the All-Ireland minor winning side of 2011 when still a 15-year-old.
He subsequently captained the Premier Under-21 team in 2015 when they won just a second Munster title in the grade but lost the All-Ireland final to Tyrone in contentious fashion. Later that year, he signed a rookie contract with the Swans, missing Tipperary's run to the All-Ireland semi-final the following season.
However, his story with Tipperary wasn't finished, his AFL employers allowing him to return to play in the Munster final in November 2020 during Covid. O'Riordan started at midfield as Tipp claimed a first Munster crown in 85 years in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, and also played in the All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Mayo at Croke Park.
He was also a talented hurler playing at under 21 level in 2015 and also played in a Harty Cup final for his school.
The Swans finished ninth in the 2025 AFLW season, narrowly missing out on the finals series, after which coach Scott Gowans resigned.