Sydney Swans performance analyst Phoebe Carter is swapping AFLW for Boccia this month as she travels to Paris for the 2024 Paralympic Games. With almost three years of experience at the club, she will take her skills to the international stage to support two Australian athletes.  

Boccia is best known for similarities to lawn bowls and is played by athletes with significant physical impairment affecting all four limbs, according to Paralympics Australia.  

Carter first undertook a role with Boccia Australia in late 2023 and has enjoyed the challenge of learning the unique sport.  

“A lot of performance analysis comes from the video footage that you'd take. At the Swans, we capture all the training sessions to be able to do a deep dive into any stats we want,” Carter explained.  

“Similarly for Boccia, we have video training and games that we are then able to do more of a deep dive.” 

The two Australian representatives competing are both ranked within the top 10 globally. As a pair they’re ranked first.  

“They have a ramp operator and use it to roll their balls. The athletes instruct the ramp operator where they want the ramp, which ball they want to roll, where, and how high up the ramp they want to roll it,” she added.  

Prior to her role at the Sydney Swans and Boccia Australia, Carter studied a degree of Sport and Exercise Science. While completing her degree, Carter undertook an internship in Performance Analysis with the club’s AFL football team in 2021. 

Since concluding that internship, Phoebe secured a position in the AFLW department and is about to embark on her third season with the team. 

“I've always just been fascinated by professional sporting environments and teams.” 

The Paralympics will begin August 29, 2024. Boccia will take place in the Bercy Arena from August 29 to September 5.

ARA First Nations Foundations and QBE Sydney Swans Academy athlete Telaya Blacksmith will also appear at the 2024 Paralympic Games, competing in T20 400m sprint and long jump.