308: Peak Demands and Decision-Making Under Fatigue with Stan Parker

About this episode

This episode features a discussion on the impact of sports science on performance and decision-making in elite AFL, led by Richard Graves and guest Stan Parker.

Fresh from pre-season camp in Australia, Richard Graves sits down with Stan Parker, Sports Scientist at the Western Bulldogs, to explore how tracking data, contextual analytics, and interdisciplinary collaboration shape performance in elite AFL. Stan’s journey spans the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL, Queensland Rugby Sevens, and now five seasons embedded within the Bulldogs’ high-performance programme, including a PhD focused on contextualising tracking data beyond simple load metrics. This episode moves beyond “distance covered” and “top speed” to examine how sports science actually influences coaching decisions, athlete development, injury management, and tactical execution. From peak demand analysis and real-world decision-making under fatigue, to AI readiness and workflow efficiency, this is a grounded, practitioner-led conversation about where elite sport is really heading. In this episode you will learn: Why contextualising tracking data matters more than collecting more of it How to compare peak training demands to peak match demands The role of vision and video in translating data for coaches and players How to build buy-in when athletes aren’t “numbers learners” The…

People in this episode

Host: Richard Graves

Guest: Stan Parker

Topics covered

• performance analysis
• sports science
• decision-making
• fatigue management
• athlete development
• data contextualization

Keywords

• tracking data
• contextual analytics
• coaching decisions
• injury management
• tactical execution
• peak demands
• AI readiness

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Western Bulldogs, Brisbane Broncos, Queensland Rugby Sevens, AFL, NRL

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