Sports Analytics in Australian Sport

Data analytics is transforming elite sport. 

This rise has seen the value of the sector skyrocket in recent years, with the Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN) reporting that Australian sports technology brings in revenues of A$4.69 billion a year.

Worldwide, the numbers are expected to increase significantly, with Grand View Research reporting that the industry was worth A$28.2 billion as of 2024, and is projected to reach A$92.6 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 21.9% from 2025 to 2030.

Australia, as well as the rest of Asia-Pacific, is part of the fastest growing market in the world, with professional leagues, clubs, and players all using various data analytics to increase revenue and performance.

How Australian Teams Use Data

Marketing and understanding consumer behaviour is one area where data analytics is key.

An example of this is the Melbourne Storm, an NRL team who has reached the finals every year since 2011. In 2020, the Storm partnered with sport and entertainment agency Gemba to “accelerate the club’s data and analytics strategy.”

Also working with the Parramatta Eels, another NRL team, Gemba provided clubs with data in areas such as membership, ticketing, and online merchandise sales– all of which helped the marketing and ticketing departments tailor their campaigns to suit their fans.

Australian teams are also using data to improve on-field performance metrics, such as tracking player load, GPS data, match statistics, injury risk indicators, and rehab progress.

In 2022, Catapult signed a five-year deal with the AFL to provide the league with performance analysis data. Giving players tracking vests, called Vectors, clubs will now have access to information that coaches can use to understand their players more than ever.

Having coached at multiple AFL clubs, AFL Queensland High Performance Manager, Paul Turk explained how:

“With AFL football being a high-intensity interval sport, we look at the distance players cover in high-velocity zones, high sprint efforts, and max velocity. Then we assess if they are hitting certain speeds throughout a weekly training and game cycle.”

Injury prevention technology is also evolving rapidly. Worn by around 50% of AFL players, HIT IQ have developed a microchipped mouthguard that assesses head injuries, with 50% of concussions currently going undetected.

Data is also used in coaching and scouting, with various performance metrics in the NRL such as tackle breaks and post-contact metres helping clubs to filter through players they may look to recruit. The NRL uses companies such as Stats Perform to track over 14,000 data points per game.

Speaking on the use of data in modern sport is Jeremy Steele, CEO of Analytics FC, who provides tailored statistics to many professional athletes.

“There are a lot of cases where the data is probably a more important factor to be looking at than perhaps the subjective, potentially biased view that comes with that, so busting those biases by utilising the data can become really important.”

Analytics in the Olympic Build-Up

With the nation’s second-ever Olympic Games set to be held in 2032, AusiSTAR is a consortium of sporting organisations, universities, government agencies and private entities that aim to provide research into sports technology that can help enhance performance, participation, and education. 

With headquarters in Brisbane, host city of the 2032 Olympic Games, AusiSTAR is set to create over 200 new jobs by 2028, improve talent identification, and support community sports, with the Queensland University of Technology pledging $4.75M over five years to fund the recruitment of experts in sports science, data science, and business and law.

Challenges and Limitations

A common concern surrounding data is that data fans see on TV, and often use to judge players, may not be what professionals focus on.

James Tedesco is the captain of the Sydney Roosters, and has said: “The numbers we use, or what gets passed to us as players at least, are very different to what you’ll see on TV when you’re watching a game.”

Anthony Seibold, Head Coach of the Manly Sea Eagles, elaborated, saying:

“We’ve narrowed it down to five win metrics for us.“

“The biggest single measure we see in terms of winning and losing games is run metres per play-the-ball, on both sides of the ball, defensively and attacking.

Simplicity is key, says Seibold, adding that he sees data as a tool used to supplement the coach’s experience.

Steele explained that certain pieces of data can “knock you off course”, and that if you don’t have the expertise to interpret the data and its pitfalls “it could lead you down a pretty nasty path.”

“Any type of objective data is going to help you in some way… most of the time, it can help guide you in the correct direction.”

Another hurdle is investment, with a report by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) stating that the national sports industry responds to digital disruption too slowly, adding that it is “fragmented and lacks innovation.” Adding to this is the Executive Director of ASTN, who explained that the “best people are designing solutions to chase the big dollars in the US.

As soon as they get a bite, they’re gone.”

The Australian sports industry spends less money than other leading nations, investing around a quarter of the rate of charities and non-profit organisations on digital technology. This leads to the best sports technology professionals going overseas, and more resources needed to train those who replace them. To overcome this, the ASC sees this as an opportunity to “upskill or recruit executive and board members with high digital capability,” with digital systems freeing up busy staff members from manual processes that limit their creativity and innovation.

Career Pathways

Considering the rapid growth in sports technology and data use, as well as the Brisbane Olympics on the horizon, employment will naturally increase with it.

This is reflected in research roles such as those with AusiSTAR, hands-on jobs as performance analysts, and off-the-field opportunities such as commercial analysts who focus on applying insights to ticketing, membership, sponsorships, and fan engagement strategies.

At GIS, we provide courses tailored to the needs of the sports industry. With degrees ranging from MSc Performance Analysis in Football to Master of International Sports Business, our degrees give graduates a competitive edge to thrive in an increasingly data-driven sporting world.
Article by Zakaria Anani