UNDERSTANDING why a team succeeds is Ben Darwin's business these days.
The former Wallabies rugby representative is the co-founder of Gain Line Analytics, which has scoured the world's sporting competitions to figure out why some teams win and others don't.
What they've found is that clubs are not placing enough importance on the understanding between athletes, their roles and the system they play in.
Darwin joins AFL.com.au podcast Trends this week to discuss his philosophies on sporting success.
Find Trends on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify
Darwin challenges the thought process of 'topping up', explains how Gain Line Analytics measures clubs' cohesion and introduces the Melbourne Storm Mirage.
Trends is a podcast for the hardcore and average football fan who wants to learn more about what they're watching each weekend, plus what's going on behind the scenes.
Podcast summary
1:07 – Measuring the level of understanding in a team
3:20 – What Geelong, Hawthorn and Sydney have in common
6:15 – Predicting which club wins the AFL premiership
9:34 – Introducing the Melbourne Storm Mirage
13:50 – Is a coach's impact on a team overrated?
14:21 – Using numbers to analyse a team's cohesion
20:26 – The impact of a star player joining a new club
24:39 – Why dropping players might not help a team improve
30:50 – Clubs figuring out what's required to achieve success
