Ballarat has confirmed current senior coach Joe Carmody has signed on to lead the Swans for a further two seasons, taking him through to at least the end of the 2023 season.
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Carmody has led a successful Swans' rebuild since joining the club at the end of the 2018 season, taking the side from 10th in 2019 to a 5-5 record and fifth spot on the ladder this season before lockdown was announced.
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Speaking on the club's Facebook page, Carmody said he always hoped to remain at the club for a long time.
"When I first signed on at the end of the 2018 season going into 2019, I wanted to be here for the long haul," he said.
"It was never going to be a quick fix and we wanted to really invest in to the juniors coming through and the young talent that was already playing seniors.
"I think from my perspective I was really keen to be involved with the club in the long term and be invested in this group, because I really have a strong belief in this group."
Carmody praised the side for its strong 2021 form, which has seen Ballarat beat strong sides Bacchus Marsh, East Point and Sebastopol and lose to first-placed North Ballarat by just two points and second-placed Melton by seven.
"I think 2021 we've made some big advancements with the way we wanted to play collectively but also the style in which we go about it has been competitive against most teams," he said.
"With our group we're still fairly inexperienced so we've had some ups and downs from week-to-week or within games.
"I think we're starting to find that we're a little bit more consistent than what we have been."
Carmody confirmed captain Sam James will be at the club in 2022, as will Bailey Van De Heuvel, Will Garner and Josh Gibson, among others.
If play returns this weekend, Ballarat would take on Lake Wendouree and would enjoy a bye in round 14.
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