Trends with Marc McGowan - an AFL podcast AFL

Understanding how player interactions impact sporting success can be a complex process, but it's a topic Deakin University PhD candidate Chris Young has tackled at length. Young's study sets about proving why the most successful teams are also commonly the ones that work best as a collective. It might seem commonsense but Young's research means coaches can remove the guesswork on this subject.

From playing in the TAC Cup alongside Josh Gibson and Andrew Carrazzo to coaching the Canadian national team and interviewing the sharpest minds in world sport, Cody Royle leads a fascinating life. Royle is now an author, podcast host and international keynote speaker who has extensively researched what gives the world's leading sports teams, including the New England Patriots, their competitive advantage. Within that work, he believes there are four key puzzle pieces that lead to sustained success.

The AFL finals are upon us and everyone has an opinion on how this week's four matches will go. But setting aside all of our biases, what do the raw numbers tell us? Champion Data analyst Corey Mobilio has run his eyes over the key statistics to deliver you the ultimate finals preview.

Seth Partnow spent three seasons as the Milwaukee Bucks' director of basketball research before accepting a job this year with media juggernaut The Athletic. He rose from part-time blogger to in-demand NBA analyst, using his deep analytics knowledge to develop on-court and recruiting strategies for the Bucks. And he knows more about Australian football than you might think.

There aren't many people better positioned to discuss the structures in place to produce future AFL draftees than Ryan O'Keefe. The ex-Swan came through the then-TAC Cup competition and transformed himself into an AFL star, before working in development coaching at Adelaide and now being in charge of the Western Jets' under-18 program. O'Keefe has firm beliefs on how the system can work better and what can make the next batch of footballers a greater success.

Daniel Giansiracusa has transitioned from Western Bulldogs playing great, to one of Luke Beveridge's coaching lieutenants, to now being in charge of the club's VFL team. There have been challenges at every stop, but the man they call 'Gia' had a line-in-the-sand moment before his coaching hat went on that set him on the right path.