This is the sort of thing that if Hawthorn are good he'll be hailed as a trailblazing genius, and if they're [censored] people will go over the top and carry on like he's been asking ChatGPT for coaching advice.

We are increasingly using LLMs in my line of work and the thing most people just don’t understand at the moment is the ferocious speed of change in the space.

The exponential growth is bats*it frightening.

Most people still cite their experience with the free version of ChatGPT 12 months ago and will say something like ‘it made mistakes and it will always need humans to review/correct it’. I can guarantee you, that is an extremely dated and narrow view of the cutting edge capability that exists now.

The last 3 months alone has seen huge evolution, we are using it for stuff now that wasn’t on our radar before Christmas.

Not inconceivable that it largely replaces or completely transforms the role of the line coach within 3 years. I can see clubs saving on the soft cap by replacing opposition analysts with it within 12 months.

I also think it will soon be analysing vision in real time in games and identifying tactical plans, opposition strengths/weaknesses and players’ performance.

I would be shocked if the next major change in game style isn’t AI-driven.

Huge area for competitive advantage within the next 5 years. I can only hope we’re not asleep at the wheel on this one (which I fear we are, per usual).

This is worth the read;

https://x.com/mattshumer_/status/2021256989876109403?s=46&t=x6XYZGpTmbqJiUFTL0LTGQ

Here’s an AI-generated 10 bullet point summary of the article if you couldn’t be bothered reading;

1. AI disruption is happening now — Matt Shumer says recent advances mean artificial intelligence isn’t a distant trend but a present reality changing work today.

2. It’s “bigger than COVID” — He compares the sudden impact of AI to how fast the pandemic changed life, arguing the shift could be similarly abrupt.

3. Personal experience as evidence — Shumer says AI has already replaced his own technical work, completing tasks he once did.

4. New models are game-changing — He highlights powerful recent models (like GPT-5.3 Codex and Anthropic’s Opus 4.6) as evidence of rapid progress.

5. Free AI is outdated — Shumer says most people judge AI based on older free tools, while current paid versions are far more capable.

6. Not just predictions — it’s already happening — He stresses that insiders are reporting what’s occurring in jobs now, not just forecasting.

7. Major job disruption risk — Shumer cites views that up to half of entry-level white-collar jobs could be affected within a few years.

8. Learn and adopt AI or fall behind — He urges individuals to become proficient with AI tools quickly to stay relevant in careers.

9. Judgment and creativity challenged — According to Shumer, newer AI shows signs of judgment and “taste,” not just rote tasks.

10. Urgent wake-up call — The essay is intended as a clear warning to people outside tech that AI’s impact will arrive sooner than most expect.

On 10/02/2026 at 23:59, Stem Splitters said:

I totally hear any skepticism and views here - our AFL game is a game of heart, grit, and 'gut feel,' and the idea of a laptop coaching a team feels a bit sterile. But it’s worth looking at AI not as a 'replacement' for the likes of Sam Mitchell's soul, but as a high-powered pair of glasses.

Here’s why even the most old-school fan might find it interesting:

• It’s about 'Seeing' the Unseen: We’ve all been frustrated when a player looks 'off' or lethargic. Currently, coaches guess why. AI can look at the biometric data and say, 'He’s not lazy; his central nervous system hasn't recovered from last week's 12km load.' It protects the players we love from injuries that are currently 'invisible' until they pop a hamstring.
  
  

• The 'Vibe' vs. The 'Fact': A coach might feel like we are losing the clearances because our rucks are beaten. The AI can instantly point out, 'Actually, the rucks are winning the tap, but our rovers are positioned 2Mtrs too wide for this specific ground.' It turns a 'vibe' into an actionable instruction in seconds.
  
  

• Removing Bias, Not Humanity: Humans are prone to 'recency bias' as it's called. We remember the last mistake a player made or has made (usually on a subliminal level) and judge them accordingly. AI doesn't have a 'dog house.' It looks at the cold, hard efficiency of every involvement/interaction. This may lead to ensuring the best players stay on the ground based on output, not reputation. And the like.
  
  

• We truly are on the cusp of a new era of data management. One that takes sterility (and guess work) out of a knowledge-base. And turns it into actionable takes beyond what we may have perceived prior. i.e taking the data analysis that is gathered (since the likes of GPS and other metrics) and actually doing some things profound with the data. That's where AI enters the fray.
  
  

• The Sam Mitchell Factor: Coaches like Mitchell aren’t trying to turn players into robots. They are trying to find the 1% tactical gaps and advantages that the human eye misses when watching 36 players moving at 25km/ph.
  
  

At the end of the day, a computer can’t give a three-quarter-time speech that makes hair stand up on your arms. It can’t teach 'courage.' But it can ensure that when a player goes to show that courage, they are in the best physical condition and the best tactical position to win the ball.

It’s not 'Moneyball' taking over the game; it’s just making sure teams like us, have the sharpest tools in the shed. I’d rather we be the ones wielding the tech than the ones trying to catch up to it in two years' time. This Sam Mitchell snippet is really about the AFL telecasting/approving to the wider audience that AI is in use and the likes of Mitchell are being projected as frontier leaders. I'd be disappointed if the Dees were not adopting AI use.

As an extension to thoughts...

1. Pre-Season & Player Management (The "Optimizer")

In the AFL, pre-season is about the delicate balance between "loading" and "breaking."

• Hyper-Personalized Loading: While coaches use GPS data now, AI can cross-reference that with sleep data, heart-rate variability (HRV), and even psychological wellness scores to predict a "soft-tissue window" before it happens. It moves from "the group is doing 8km today" to "Player X’s biometric signature says he’s at 85% risk of a hamstring strain if he sprints today."

• Drafting & "Moneyball" 2.0: AI can analyze thousands of hours of minor League (U18) footage to find players whose "spatial awareness" or "decision-making speed" under pressure matches current AFL stars, identifying "diamonds in the rough" that recruiters might overlook.

2. Game-Day: Preparation & In-Game (The "Super Assistant")

This is where Sam Mitchell and others are likely looking for that 1% edge.

• The "Opposition Oracle": Imagine an AI fed with every game the opposition has played for three years. On game day, it can alert the bench: "When the opposition is 2 goals down in the 4th quarter, they increase corridor usage by 40%." * In-Game Tactical Shifts: In the heat of the game, a coach's bias can take over. AI acts as an "unemotional observer," suggesting structural changes: "The opposition’s spare man is intercepting 70% of entries; recommend moving a defensive forward to negate." It’s about processing 22 moving parts simultaneously - something the human brain struggles to do perfectly for 120 minutes.

3. Injury & Recovery (The "Predictor")

I'm drawing on the DeepMind's 'AlphaFold Project' here: As it really shines as an example.

• Biomechanical Analysis: AI can analyze a player’s kicking or running gait in real-time. If a player starts favouring one side by even 2-3 mms - unnoticeable to the human eye - the AI flags it as a fatigue-induced mechanical failure, allowing for an early rotation.

• The "Digital Twin": Some elite teams are moving toward creating a "Digital Twin" of an athlete - like a virtual clone or model that can "play" the game first to see how much stress their specific joints and tendons will take. That is where the State-of-the-art will take us (in coaching and all manners of Industry).
  

Some final thoughts:

On the "Human Element": AI doesn't "whinge." AI frees up coaches to do more "human" work. If AI is doing the heavy lifting on the data, the Coach has more time for the "soft skills" - like mentoring, empathy, and the psychological "rev-up" that an algorithm can't replicate.

Think of it like a pilot with a sophisticated heads-up display. The pilot still flies the plane and makes the final call on the landing, but the AI ensures they have every scrap of data they need to make that call perfectly. For a club like Hawthorn and Sam Mitchell - and hopefully Melbourne - integrating this isn't just about 'using tech'; it's about making sure players are the best-informed athletes on the field.

I'd invite any expansion on this topic, that the OP has raised.

Go Dees!

If your early posts are a sign of things to come I might have to sign up for membership.

Looking forward to @binman discussing this on the podcast this year 🙂