Beyond the Boundary - Match Day Operations
In this edition of SwansTV's Beyond the Boundary, powered by Volkswagen, we go behind the scenes with the Sydney Swans match day operations team
From team announcements and match-ups to on-field interviews and scoreboard control, the crew is responsible for all media, entertainment and promotions that take place within the stadium at every Sydney Swans home game.
Ahead of the Swans’ round 10 clash with Essendon, SwansTV’s ‘Beyond the Boundary’ team went behind the scenes and caught up with the Senior Manager of Events & Operations, Amanda Turner, about the day’s match day presentation.
“It’s certainly a very well timed day and we start from gates, and everything is broken down into minutes from the time the gates open through to the end of the game,” Turner said about match day.
“The key times really are when we get the team lists, and then when we do the key match ups for the scoreboard.
“Team entry and umpire entry are also crucial for us and then quarter breaks and then the half time breaks also have key timings involved.”
While Turner and her crew are responsible for ensuring that everything runs smoothly within the match day operations centre, Swans Match Day Floor Manager, Matt Garthon, is charged with making sure key timings are met on field.
In addition to managing the performance of on-field SwansTV host Byron Cooke, Garthon also coordinates match day interviews with players and coaches.
“I also have the role to set John (Longmire) up for the pre-match interview, which happens about 90 minutes before the game actually starts,” Garthon said.
“I’m basically cueing the interview in and making sure we hit that two minute mark with the interview.
“I also brief the players on the questions Byron is going to ask them during the breaks and make sure they are prepared for the interview.”
With so many elements involved in a successful match day, Garthon said timing was the most crucial part of his role.
“Timing is everything on match day,” he said.
“We’ve got a certain amount of time pre-game before the umpires actually walk onto the field, so our run sheet we work off works in 30 second blocks, so we really need to hit that time otherwise it can throw the whole day out.”
Turner agreed that timing was crucial for a successful match day opertion, adding that contingency plans were also an important element should things go wrong.
“It gets a bit hectic before the game starts that’s for sure, and then definitely in the breaks it gets hectic, especially if something goes wrong,” Turner said.
“For example if it’s a day where it’s pretty windy and it looks like it’s going to rain, we’ll probably have to change a few things on the go, but we’ve always got a backup plan so it always works.”
Click on the video player above to check out the Sydney Swans Match Day Operations as part of SwansTV’s Beyond the Boundary, powered by Volkswagen