Carmody informed the playing group on Thursday night that he will step down as coach at the end of this season.

"Four years is a long time to be doing it, to be honest, in terms of what you put into it and the hours it takes," Carmody told The Courier.

"I leave on good terms. It's just more about getting back to the family and spending more time with them."

Carmody was appointed coach at the end of 2018.

His tenure has included an abandoned 2020 season and 2021 and 2022 campaigns heavily impacted by COVID-19.

Last year, Carmody guided the Swans to a finals place for the first time in seven seasons.

"I think the club is in a really good position now. I'm not leaving a sinking ship. I think we've improved to a point where there'll be sustainable success in the future," Carmody said.

Coaching was just one contribution Carmody made to his boyhood club.

After playing over 100 junior games, he progressed to the senior ranks, playing 121 games and winning the Greenfield Trophy in 1999 as the club's best-and-fairest.

Later, he became an assistant playing coach at Bungaree, a joint playing coach at Springbank, a playing coach at SMW Rovers, an assistant at Ballarat, and a line coach for the Greater Western Victoria Rebels.

Carmody said the relationships he'd built would be his fondest memories.

"Those relationships with players are probably the biggest things that have kept me going, especially over the past few years with COVID," he said. "Other coaches will probably attest to this, but it was really difficult during that time to get players up and going."

While his side currently sits third, Carmody wasn't drawn to a premiership farewell.

"We won't compromise what we're doing for the remainder of the year for a short hit," he said.

"We'll still look to develop our youth, and hopefully that leads to success, whether that's this year or in future years."

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