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The SportsGrad Podcast: The Ultimate Guide to Make it in the Sports Industry
#227: How to be a Performance Analyst for Pro Tennis Players with Shane Liyanage
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Do you dream of working with elite athletes?
If you’re the analytical type, a career as a Performance Analyst could be just for you. To find out exactly how to get there and what it’s like, we’ve called on Shane Liyange, the champion Analyst of Australian Open winner, Aryna Sabalenka.
Shane’s experience:
- Bachelor of Laws / Masters of Sport Analytics
- Paralegal at Norton Rose Fulbright
- Financial Analyst at Australian Federal Government
- Business Analyst at Victorian State Government
- Analytics Lead at Cricket Australia
- Performance Data Scientist at Tennis Australia
- Founder and Principal Consultant at Data Driven Sports Analytics
We talk about Shane’s journey from law to sport, how he learnt to be an incredible analyst, getting his first professional athlete client, and tips, tricks and habits that keep him at the top of his game.
If you aspire to be a Performance Analyst or want new insight into the numbers behind professional tennis players, dive into this chat with Shane Liyange.
We cover:
(04:18) - SportsGrad Community Update
(11:49) - Interview with Shane Liyange
(11:53) - Working on the Australian Open with Aryna Sabalenka
(16:44) - Career journey from Paralegal to Founder and Performance Analyst
(20:56) - Shane’s approach to data analysis
(21:56) - How to analyze an upcoming opponent
(24:37) - The relationship between a coach and an analyst
(27:02) - Typical day in the life of a Performance Analyst, and unique insights of tennis
(37:48) - Shane’s work habits that keep him productive
(41:52) - Key tools and platforms for analysis
(46:32) - How content creation led to new professional tennis clients
(48:15) - Best advice for people looking to get into Performance Analytics
(53:56) - ASK SPORTSGRAD
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Additional episodes you might enjoy:
#206: Libby Owens (Champion Data) - How to get into sports analytics
#142: Binuk Kodituwakku (Adelaide FC) - How Analytics guides AFL list management
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This episode is brought to you by Deakin University, the Official Education Partner of The SportsGrad Podcast. Find out why their Master of Business in Sport Management is not one of, but the best one in Australia ranked at #1 at www.deakin.edu.au
Thanks for listening! You’re all legends.
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#339: How to get cut through and land your first job in sport with Josh Marton, GM of Public Affairs and Marketing in Golf
01:10:33|Meet Josh Marton, the General Manager of Public Affairs at the PGA of Australia and Golf Australia.In this episode, we follow Josh’s journey from starting in journalism, to becoming a Marketing and Communications Account Executive at TGI Sport, to working at the Australian Open Golf tournament where he was part of the leadership team that brought Rory McIlroy to Royal Melbourne.We also take a deep dive into Josh’s time at Cricket Australia where he was the Head of Communications working across the Ashes and the Cricket World Cup and also at Fox Sports where he was the Partnerships Executive.If you’re looking for a job at Golf Australia, Josh provides what we looks for in applicants and what you can do to help to help break into the sports industry.We cover:(03:57) - Interview Begins(06:37)- Quickfire Questions(08:15) - Interview question Josh would ask at Golf Australia(17:17) - Josh’s pinch me moment during the Australian Open(20:46) - Josh’s experience in the build up to the Australian Open(24:28) - How Rory McIlroy made his way Down Under for the Australian Open(28:08) - What did Josh do early days?(35:03) - Josh’s experience working at TGI Sports(44:08) - Josh’s work at Cricket Australia during a T20 World Cup Campaign(50:03) - Career advice from Josh about breaking into the sports industry(01:00:14) - Josh and Reuben workshopping LinkedIn post about the Australian Open(01:05:06) - How Josh developed his marketing skillset that help propel him to become a General ManagerIf you like this ep, give these a go next:#231: Journey to Commercial Partnerships Coordinator at Golf Australia with Clayton Henderson#338: From the AFL, to Cricket NT CEO at 29, to Executive GM at Cricket Australia with Joel Morrison#333: Managing Partnerships for the Nike Melbourne Marathon at IMG with Clayton HendersonWant a job in sport? Click here.Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokFollow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokBig thanks to Deakin University for making this episode possible. Check out their Master of Sport Management, ranked #1 in Australia.Thanks for listening, much love!
#338: From the AFL, to Cricket NT CEO at 29, to Executive General Manager at Cricket Australia with Joel Morrison
01:09:43|Meet Joel Morrison, the Executive General Manager of Events and General Operations at Cricket Australia.In this episode, we follow Joel’s journey and his leadership experiences where he became the CEO of Northern Territory Cricket at only 29 years old.We breakdown his move from Darwin to Melbourne to pursue more opportunities where he got his first full-time gig at the AFL, working with the commercial team at the Big Bash Leagues and then making the move up into more leadership roles within Cricket.If you want to meet Joel and here more from him, he’s going to be speaking at the SportsGrad Adelaide Meetup on December 16, the night before Day 1 of the Adelaide Test match, so come along for that if you’re in town.Grab your tickets here: https://luma.com/tslgoei7We cover:(04:31) - Interview begins(07:48) - Quickfire Questions(10:30) - Interview Questions Joel would ask at Cricket Australia(14:09) - What was Joel Morrison like early days(18:39) - How Joel broke into the sports industry(25:07) - What helped Joel’s development in the sports industry(32:00) - Joel’s experiences working for the Big Bash League(39:00) - How Joel became the CEO of Northern Territory Cricket(43:07) - The challenges Joel faced as CEO of Northern Territory Cricket(50:04) - How Joel made the move back to Melbourne to work at Cricket Australia(57:33) - Joel’s work during the Perth Test(01:06:16) - Heart-to-heart between Joel and ReubenIf you like this ep, give these a go next:#325: How to build a career in sports media from scratch with Brody Burrows#83: How to be the Team Manager of the Australian Women’s Cricket with Urmila Rosario#337: How Dante beat 99% of Grads to land his dream job at Cricket AustraliaWant a job in sport? Click here.Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokFollow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokBig thanks to Deakin University for making this episode possible. Check out their Master of Sport Management, ranked #1 in Australia.Thanks for listening, much love!
#337: How Dante beat 99% of Grads to land his dream job at Cricket Australia
01:04:58|Meet Dante McDonald, the Customer Experience Operations Coordinator at Cricket Australia.In this episode, we follow Dante’s journey with SportsGrad and how he was able to get a job at Cricket Australia in only 16 days and another one only a couple months later.We breakdown how he joined SportsGrad and the connections he made with some of SportsGrad’s South Australian members to get work at the Adelaide Lightning and the Adelaide Crows. We also discuss his current role at Cricket Australia and what he’s been up to at the Ashes in Perth.So if you're looking for a job at Cricket Australia, Dante shares what interview questions to expect and gives advice about posting on LinkedIn.If you want to chat with Dante, connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dante-mcdonald/We cover:(05:16) - Interview begins(06:47) - Quickfire Questions(07:55) - Interview Process with Cricket Australia(14:01) - How Dante joined SportsGrad(22:33) - Lessons from the SportsGrad Method Program that helped Dante(24:36) - LinkedIn advice(27:56) - How Dante joined Cricket Australia/How Reuben shortlists SportsGrad Members(32:49) - Dante’s thought process moving from Adelaide to Melbourne(40:43) - Dante’s time as Partnerships Coordinator at Cricket Australia(46:13) - Dante’s career switch at Cricket Australia(53:35) - Dante’s role as Customer Experience Operations Coordinator at Cricket AustraliaIf you like this ep, give these a go next: #333: Managing Partnerships for the Nike Melbourne Marathon at IMG with Clayton Henderson#265: From Westpac to the Adelaide Crows FC in 29 days with Community Engagement Manager, Parth Suri#309: How I landed my dream job at Cricket Australia | Reuben Williams, Founder of SportsGradWant a job in sport? Click here.Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokFollow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokBig thanks to Deakin University for making this episode possible. Check out their Master of Sport Management, ranked #1 in Australia.Thanks for listening, much love!
#336: The brutal truth about changing careers into sport (nobody tells you this)
28:41|Want a job in sport? Click here.Welcome to the SportsGrad Podcast, hosted by Reuben Williams, ex-Cricket Australia employee, career coach, public speaker, content creator and Founder of SportsGrad.On this podcast you’ll hear how to find your perfect role, grow your network, win job applications, scale your personal brand, create opportunities for yourself, and land your dream job in sport. Plus the many failures and lessons Reuben has learned from landing a dream job before graduating, helping others to land 700+ jobs in sport, and interviewing over 300+ professionals from the NFL, NBA, AFL, ICC, Cricket Australia, Premier League, Olympics, and many more teams, leagues, agencies and startups.To learn more about Reuben, listen to this episode: #309: How I landed a dream job at Cricket Australia before graduating | Reuben WilliamsFollow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok Follow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokBig thanks to Deakin University for making this episode possible. Check out their Master of Sport Management, ranked #1 in Australia.Thanks for listening, much love!
#335: How to land a job at the VIS with Director of People & Community, Daniel Simons
55:40|Coming up on the show today is Dan Simons, the Director of People and Community at the Victorian Institute of Sport. In this episode, we dissect the Victorian Institute of Sport's new strategy for the next eight years in the lead up to Brisbane 2032. We breakdown each of the priority areas for the VIS and how that looks in practice, and what it means for you and your career. Dan then goes into detail on how to use a company strategy to help enhance your next application, no matter where you apply in the sports industry. So if you're looking for a job at the Victorian Institute of Sport (or any High performance organisation), Dan shares what they look for when recruiting, to nail an application here, plus how you can incorporate it into your resume, cover letter, and interview… so that you can make sure an employer can see you’re aligned on their mission. Dan was previously the Head of People & Culture at Golf Australia and the PGA of Australia. And back in episode 110, you can hear his advice on how to Master your job application.If you like this ep, give these a go next:#110: How to master your job application with Dan Simons (Golf Australia)#128: How to sell yourself in a cover letter with Kimberlee Furnace (Netball Australia)#240: How to be a Biomechanist at the Victorian Institute of Sport with Dr. Victoria BrackleyWant a job in sport? Click here.Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok Follow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokBig thanks to Deakin University for making this episode possible. Check out their Master of Sport Management, ranked #1 in Australia.Thanks for listening, much love!
#334: Adam Collins from The Final Word on early political career, transition to sports journalism, origins of TFW and much more
01:56:48|Meet Australian Cricket Journalist, Author, and Broadcaster, Adam Collins. Adam is one of Australia’s biggest cricket journalists, covering the game all around the world for the likes of SEN, The Guardian, Sky Cricket, BBC, Wisden, ESPNCricifo and more. His podcast, The Final Word, which he co-hosts with Geoff Lemon, has been running for 10 years, has more than 1500 episodes published, and often regarded by Wisden as the best Cricket Podcast in the world. However, Adam didn’t take the a traditional route into sports journalism, pivoting after a full-on early career in politics working for the Prime Minister’s office in Canberra. Heaps to look out for in the episode including Adam’s early career, transition to sport, starting the Final Word Podcast, buying the rights to the post-sandpaper 2018 UAE Tour, and how buying the Batmobile from the 1991 Grand Final led to campaigning for Andy Gowers to be Hawthorn Football Club President. Adam has also got a book coming out called ‘Bedtime Tales for Cricket Tragics’ which we discuss, you can get your hands on it in the UK on November 17, and in Australia on November 25.If you like this ep, give these a go next:#327: How Andy Gowers became President of the Hawthorn Football Club#242: The origins of The Grade Cricketer with Sam Perry#213: How The Grade Cricketer became a global success with Ian HigginsWant a job in sport? Click here.Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok Follow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokBig thanks to Deakin University for making this episode possible. Check out their Master of Sport Management, ranked #1 in Australia.Thanks for listening, much love!
#333: Managing Partnerships for the Nike Melbourne Marathon at IMG with Clayton Henderson
54:06|Coming up on the show today is the SportsGrad Podcast’s first ever 3-time guest, Clayton Henderson, Partnerships Manager at IMG who worked on the 2025 Melbourne Marathon.Clayton joined SportsGrad in 2021, and first appeared on episode #183, where he was fresh out of uni, before coming back in episode #231 to talk us through his role in Commercial Partnerships at Golf Australia.Today, Clayton runs us through working on a record-breaking Melbourne Marathon in the role of Partnerships Manager at IMG.If you want to understand the rapidly growing world of mass participation events, the commercial program of the IMG events cycle, and future developments to expect for large scale events, you’ll love this chat.We cover:(01:41) - Interview begins(04:16) - Quickfire questions(08:47) - How Clayton made his move to IMG(0:13:43) - How the IMG events cycle effects Clayton’s role(0:19:33) - Clayton’s work on the Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival(0:23:50) - Advice Clayton wishes he could’ve given himself for this role(0:27:36) - What IMG covers as a business(0:29:11) - How Clayton made the first move in his career(0:34:29) - Where have Clayton’s connections from SportsGrad Meetups led to?(0:37:38) - Clayton’s learnings over the last 12 months(0:43:40) - Clayton’s advice for someone becoming a young professionalIf you like this ep, give these a go next:#183: Reuben career coaches a grad | Clayton Henderson#231: Commercial Partnerships at Golf Australia | Clayton Henderson#181: Commercial Partnerships at Western Unite | Nathan PerroneWant a job in sport? Click here.Follow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok Follow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokBig thanks to Deakin University for making this episode possible. Check out their Master of Sport Management, ranked #1 in Australia.Thanks for listening, much love!#332: How to land a job in sport before the end of 2025
29:22|Want a job in sport? Click here.Welcome to the SportsGrad Podcast, hosted by Reuben Williams, ex-Cricket Australia employee, career coach, public speaker, content creator and Founder of SportsGrad.On this podcast you’ll hear how to find your perfect role, grow your network, win job applications, scale your personal brand, create opportunities for yourself, and land your dream job in sport. Plus the many failures and lessons Reuben has learned from landing a dream job before graduating, helping others to land 700+ jobs in sport, and interviewing over 300+ professionals from the NFL, NBA, AFL, ICC, Cricket Australia, Premier League, Olympics, and many more teams, leagues, agencies and startups.To learn more about Reuben, listen to this episode: #309: How I landed a dream job at Cricket Australia before graduating | Reuben WilliamsFollow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok Follow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokBig thanks to Deakin University for making this episode possible. Check out their Master of Sport Management, ranked #1 in Australia.Thanks for listening, much love!#331: Are you 'Industry-Ready' or 'Industry-Wanted'?
37:17|Want a job in sport? Click here.Welcome to the SportsGrad Podcast, hosted by Reuben Williams, ex-Cricket Australia employee, career coach, public speaker, content creator and Founder of SportsGrad.On this podcast you’ll hear how to find your perfect role, grow your network, win job applications, scale your personal brand, create opportunities for yourself, and land your dream job in sport. Plus the many failures and lessons Reuben has learned from landing a dream job before graduating, helping others to land 700+ jobs in sport, and interviewing over 300+ professionals from the NFL, NBA, AFL, ICC, Cricket Australia, Premier League, Olympics, and many more teams, leagues, agencies and startups.To learn more about Reuben, listen to this episode: #309: How I landed a dream job at Cricket Australia before graduating | Reuben WilliamsFollow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok Follow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokBig thanks to Deakin University for making this episode possible. Check out their Master of Sport Management, ranked #1 in Australia.Thanks for listening, much love!