But there the 26-year-old was, smack bang in the guts of regional Australian, and looking like he had been there all his life.

Bennetts-Inkster was overseeing a Tamworth Swans meet and greet/training session at Riverside 5, after replacing Paul Kelly as head coach of the men's side.

Kelly, who was in the role for eight years, will be Bennetts-Inkster's assistant in 2024 as the club chases their first men's premiership since 2009. They have lost three consecutive grand finals.

Bennetts-Inkster's rise to prominence in the club followed his move to the North West for work in 2022.

He was a machine-cutting operator for Sydney company Pipeline Watertech, which landed a large contract in Tamworth before picking up work in Bingara and Warialda.

When the work finished, Bennetts-Inkster returned to Sydney to resume living with his parents. But after residing in the North West for 18 months, and playing for the Swans during that period, he was hooked.

"I reckon that halfway through 2023 I thought, 'Yeah, this would be a good place to live,'" he said, adding that he stayed with Pipeline Watertech upon returning to Sydney.

"And then just kept in touch with my friends here [Tamworth], and saw that there was a job at the Courthouse available. I applied and got it."

Bennetts-Inkster is a manager at the popular watering hole, having previously worked in pubs in Sydney.

"I love Tamworth. I love the people," he said. "And the club is a main part of that as well, with the people and the culture that it's got."

The Adelaide-born footballer moved to Sydney when he was in high school. He said Tamworth's "slow-paced lifestyle" appealed to him.

"It has surprised me a little bit," he said of his affection for the city. "When I first moved here for work, 18 months ago, it was daunting.

"It was the first time I'd lived out of home. I had to live with some people I'd never met before. Like any challenge, I took it up and succeeded."

In Bennetts-Inkster, the Swans have someone with ample coaching experience.

The former Sydney University Division 1 player coached the university's under-19 side. He also coached the Canada Bay Cannons under-17 side, among others.

His mentor during those tenures was former AFL player Craig Lambert, who was also an assistant coach at the Lions and the Giants. Bennetts-Inkster is best friends with the former Richmond mainstay's son.

"In my football and coaching life, he's played a massive part," Bennetts-Inkster said of Lambert.