Episode 307

Performance Science in AFL and NRL with Brendan Fahrner

February 16th, 2026

27 mins 30 secs

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team sport science performance leadership practitioner wellbeing injury risk management performance culture athlete buy-in coaching science sports data strength and conditioning sports technology performance analytics gps tracking athlete monitoring rugby league nrl afl elite sport high performance sports science

About this Episode

This episode explores what high performance really looks like inside two of the most demanding professional sporting environments in the world.

Richard Graves is joined by Brendan Fahrner, formerly Head of Sports Science at the South Sydney Rabbitohs, and previously a long-serving performance staff member at Richmond Football Club during one of the most successful periods in AFL history.

Across a career spanning AFL and NRL, Brendan has worked inside premiership-winning programs, navigated the evolution of GPS and performance analytics, and seen firsthand how elite sport has shifted from data accumulation to data translation.

In this conversation, he strips back the noise around technology and shares why soft skills, trust, and clarity of message ultimately drive performance outcomes. From simplifying GPS dashboards to building credibility with senior coaches, Brendan offers a grounded, practical perspective on what actually moves the needle in team sport.

He also speaks candidly about practitioner burnout, self-worth, and why sustainability in high performance careers is just as important as physical robustness in athletes.

This episode will resonate with sports scientists, S&C coaches, performance managers and aspiring practitioners looking to build impact in elite environments.

In this episode you will learn

  • Why high performance is more about relationships than periodisation
  • How to build trust quickly when entering a new club environment
  • The importance of simplifying data for coaches and athletes
  • How to align performance metrics with a coach’s game model
  • Why most GPS reports contain too much irrelevant data
  • How to identify the few variables that truly influence coach perception
  • Practical strategies for athlete-centric monitoring in squad settings
  • The crossover principles between AFL and NRL performance environments
  • How to translate analytics into language players understand
  • Why self-care and professional boundaries matter in elite sport
  • The importance of valuing yourself as a practitioner

About Brendan Fahrner
Brendan Fahrner is a high performance practitioner with extensive experience in elite Australian sport.
He began his career in the early adoption phase of GPS in the AFL, working with Richmond and later Geelong during a period of sustained premiership success. He spent the majority of his career at Richmond Football Club, contributing to three premiership titles and multiple finals campaigns.
Most recently, Brendan worked in the NRL with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, applying performance principles across codes and leading athlete monitoring and sports science integration within rugby league.
He has developed a strong reputation for simplifying complex performance data, building trust with athletes and coaches, and creating athlete-centred systems in high-pressure team environments.

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