McGlynn will work under senior coach Alan Richardson in a development role.

In a statement released by his new club, McGlynn said he was excited about being in a new environment and meeting new people after seven years at Sydney.

"I've had some exposure to coaching, so I feel like the development role is a great fit for me and I'm looking forward to working with the younger boys," he said.

The Saints' general manager of football performance Jamie Cox said McGlynn was a skilled and experienced player who had a genuine love of coaching.

"His AFL experience and knowledge of the modern game will be invaluable to the younger players under his tutelage," he said.

McGlynn played 171 AFL matches for two of the most powerful clubs in the past 15 years, Hawthorn and Sydney.

But the 31-year-old never played in a premiership-winning side - he was not selected to play in the Hawks' 2008 grand final team and was out injured when Sydney won in 2012.

McGlynn played in the 2014 grand final, when the Swans lost to Hawthorn and this year's premiership decider, which they lost to the Western Bulldogs.

At the end of 2016, McGlynn retired saying he wanted to stay in the AFL industry.

Swans coach John Longmire payed tribute to the small forward, saying he had made a big impact on the team.

"He was hard, he was committed, he really valued the things we value as a team and he did them really well," the coach said.