The $683 million stadium, four years in the making, has been delivered on time and on budget, and will now enter its final operational phase before hosting its first major event.
Former All Black Dan Carter was revealed to have helped an AFL team become one of the best kicking squads in the competition.
Sydney Swans player Tom Papley told the media the former All Black gave the Australian Rules team advice about the mental side of kicking, something they werestruggling with.
“He came in last year on a Zoom [call].
“We were struggling with our set shots, and we were missing a fair few ... a lot of it is mental, and he explained that,” Papley said.
“It’s 90% upstairs. As long as you get your technique right, the rest of it’s upstairs.”
The Swans’ player said Carter explained how he would have a mental trigger before he would kick, such as “screwing his toes into the turf”.
“His is a very different sport, [the ball is] planted there, it doesn’t move.
Dan Carter worked with the AFL's Sydney Swans to help improve their kicking game. Phot / Photosport
“Ours is very different; we move the ball around when we’re having a set shot. But we took some things out of that, and it’s definitely worked for me personally. I’ve kicked a lot better doing that.”
Papley has been sidelined with a calf injury recently, but said other members of the team have taken on the New Zealander’s advice.
Sports data analyst firm Champion Data have shown the Swans have improved from being the fourth-worst set-shot team in the AFL last year to now being the fifth-best.
Carter retired from rugby in 2021 after nearly 20 years in the sport and two World Cups to his name.
He played 112 tests for the All Blacks and recorded 1598 points, the highest of any player in test rugby.
On debut for the Crusaders in 2003, Carter scored two tries, the first coming from a chargedown and the second was a breakaway from inside his own half.
