AUSTRALIA Trends and Developments Contributed by: Sven Burchartz and Jessica Bell, Kalus Kenny Intelex
pricing, which led to significant price variations across states. The AFL Fans Association called for the league to standardise ticket pricing across all venues nation - wide. Dynamic pricing, introduced in 2016, allows clubs to adjust ticket prices based on demand. How - ever, its application during the 2025 season attracted criticism, where price increases occurred irrespective of demand. In contrast, Victorian ticket prices largely remained at more affordable levels, as the AFL’s ownership of Marvel Stadium in Docklands supported a commer - cial arrangement with the MCG and its home clubs to freeze general admission prices within the AUD20–30 range. The issue also attracted broader attention as the federal government considered feedback on pro - posals to ban dynamic pricing, as well as hidden fees and excessive data collection during ticket purchases. Similar pricing dynamics were observed in tennis dur - ing the 2026 Australian Open, where ticket prices var - ied substantially depending on demand, session type and tournament round. More affordable tickets were generally available during early-round day sessions, with prices ranging from approximately AUD101 to AUD674. As the tournament progressed and higher- profile matches emerged, increased demand and reduced supply coincided with significant price esca - lation, with men’s night final tickets reportedly ranging from around AUD1,000 to as much as AUD10,000. In a comparable context, the Australian Grand Prix also attracted attention in relation to the expanding use of dynamic pricing. A four-day adult general admission ticket has increased from approximately AUD300 in 2025 to AUD385 in 2026. While this approach reflect - ed the growing popularity of Formula One in Australia, these developments have contributed to ongoing con - cerns regarding the affordability and increasing com - mercialisation of major sporting events. In or Out: Umpiring, Scoring and Decision-Review Technology The use of technology in officiating and scoring has expanded significantly across Australian sports in recent years. Many mainstream sports now rely on automated and video-assisted systems to improve accuracy, consistency and confidence in decision-
making. A notable example of this shift can be seen at the Australian Open, where all matches utilise elec - tronic line judging, departing from the traditional use of human line judges, which will still feature at the 2026 French Open. The system tracks the ball in real time and makes instantaneous calls as to whether it has landed “in” or “out”. This has ushered in a new era in which technology effectively assumes the role of the chair umpire, raising questions about the eventual abolition of player appeals, while also promoting a faster pace of play and greater consistency and cer - tainty in officiating. In contrast, the AFL has continued to invest in tech - nology to improve the accuracy of goal-line decisions. In recent seasons, the AFL’s ARC (AFL Review Cen - tre) has operated as an off-site review hub, providing high-resolution vision of potential scoring incidents in real time. The ARC utilises ultra-motion cameras capturing more than 300 frames per second, allow - ing the flight and deviation of the ball to be analysed with advanced precision and enabling officials to determine more accurately whether a score should be recorded as a goal or a behind. The AFL has also explored expanding its goal review system, including discussions with the National Football League in the United States about using AI to further enhance deci - sion-making. These developments reflect the AFL’s ongoing efforts to balance technological innovation with officiating integrity. Similar trends can be observed across other Austral - ian sports. Cricket Australia continues to rely on the Decision Review System (“DRS”) for adjudicating dis - missals, using ball-tracking and edge-detection tech - nology to assist umpires, while the National Rugby League’s (“NRL”) Bunker plays a central role in review - ing try-scoring and foul-play incidents. Even in sports such as swimming and athletics, automated timing and touch-pad systems have long replaced manual officiating for results and placings, reinforcing tech - nology’s growing authority in determining competitive outcomes. Taken together, these developments illustrate a broad - er shift towards technology-led officiating across Australian sport. While such systems promise greater
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