After attracting more than three million views in its debut season, TikTok documentary Young Bloods is returning for a second season, following a new cohort of nine young athletes at the QBE Sydney Swans Academy.
The renewed 20-part series has commenced production, giving AFL fans unprecedented access to the next generation of football stars as they pursue their dreams of being drafted to the AFL and AFLW.
The appetite for sports storytelling from clubs, athletes, and fans on TikTok continues to grow, with AFL-related content amassing more than one billion views on the platform in 2025 alone.
Produced by Hustle Media, the 3-minute ‘Tok-umentary’ episodes combine professionally filmed footage with self-shot athlete content, providing unparalleled insight into the minds and lives of the emerging sports stars.
One of the new season’s featured athletes is 17-year-old Mason McGroder, who is balancing the pursuit of a career in AFL with preparation to represent Australia in long jump at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships.
“This year is one of the biggest and most exciting times in my life,” said McGroder.
“To be involved in a series like Young Bloods that is documenting our journeys, capturing all the highs and lows as young athletes, is really cool. It’s also great for friends and family who support us in our endeavours as well as the wider community to get a first-hand look at the culture, celebrations, work, and sacrifices that happen behind the scenes.”
The announcement comes as the QBE Sydney Swans Academy hits the milestone of 50 athletes making their way onto AFL and AFLW lists – 38 at the Sydney Swans and 12 to other clubs – since the start of the program in 2012.
Current Swans who all came through the pathway include Callum Mills, Isaac Heeney, Errol Gulden, Nick Blakey, Braeden Campbell, Sam Wicks, Caiden Cleary, Will Edwards, Harry Kyle, Max King, and Noah Chamberlain who was featured in the inaugural season of Young Bloods.
AFLW players include Holly Cooper, Maddie Quinn, Imogen Brown, Amelia Martin, Alex Neyland, and Molly Thomas.
Michelle Cooling, social media manager for the Sydney Swans, said Young Bloods offered a unique opportunity to showcase the people and culture behind the QBE Sydney Swans Academy and continue to put content into a platform where new audiences can engage with the club.
“TikTok is really important platform in culture today and one we use to connect and showcase the personalities behind the players who represent our club. Young Bloods provides an opportunity for us to have a short format series which engages our current members and fan as well as new audiences and takes them inside the athlete journey in the QBE Sydney Swans Academy,” said Cooling.
“The QBE Sydney Swans Academy plays a vital role in developing the next generation of talent, both on and off the field. Through initiative like Young Bloods, we’re proud to support young athletes with the opportunities, guidance, and confidence they need to succeed,” said Lorelle Hillman, general manager distribution at QBE Insurance Australia.
The second season of Young Bloods has also received funding from the Young Men and Media Collective, a global content initiative from Movember and Equimundo that supports projects designed to reshape the narratives young men encounter online.
Young Bloods director and producer Hugh Humphreys said the new season continues Hustle Media’s mission to tell authentic stories about Australian athletes.
“These athletes are in such unique circumstances, balancing the demands of preparing for an AFL or AFLW career with life as a teenager. By letting us into their locker rooms in their draft year, we have the chance to give a truly
authentic look at the world that young Australian men and women are inhabiting right now, in a format that makes sense to them,” added Humphreys.
Screen Australia added its support to the project as part of its commitment to backing innovative Australian storytelling and reaching audiences where they are consuming content.
“After the success of Young Bloods season one, Hustle Media returns with a compelling new chapter following nine athletes on the brink of their AFL careers. Combining documentary storytelling with personal, self-filmed moments, the online series offers a direct, rare window into the inner world of these young men and women, connecting audiences here at home with the beloved Aussie sport, while inviting global viewers into the universal highs, setbacks and sacrifices of chasing a sportng dream,” said Richard Huddleston, head of documentary at Screen Australia.
“It’s evident, with the millions of views season one achieved, that Young Bloods has reached a global audience, and it’s exciting to see the series return for a second season. Young Bloods provides rare insight into the lives of these young athletes as they embark on their careers in AFL and AFLW and Screen NSW is thrilled to continue to support Hustle Media and the team to showcase this next generation of sportng talent,” said Kylie Munnich, executive director of Screen NSW.
Young Bloods Season 2 is a Hustle Media production. Principal production funding from the Young Men and Media Collective, a Movember and Equimundo initiative, and Screen Australia, in association with the Sydney Swans, Screen NSW, TikTok, QBE, and Samsung Australia.
@youngbloodsafl Episode 1 🦢 Get your footy boots on and find out what’s on the line for our eight Young Bloods this season #youngbloods #afl #sydneyswans ♬ original sound – YOUNG BLOODS
