{"id":32329,"date":"2026-09-24T14:41:51","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T06:41:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/?p=32329"},"modified":"2026-09-24T15:12:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T07:12:15","slug":"curtin-fremantle-dockers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/news\/curtin-fremantle-dockers\/","title":{"rendered":"Curtin and the Dockers: 11 years of connection, on and off the field"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

More than 150 student placements over five years, more than 50 alumni who have worked at the club and more than 25 research projects: Curtin\u2019s partnership with the Fremantle Dockers gives our community plenty to cheer about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Fremantle gets ready for the 2026 Toyota AFL Grand Final, we\u2019re celebrating a connection 11 years in the making \u2013 and looking toward a future of creating many more opportunities together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2015, not only have our students been immersed in the club\u2019s behind-the-scenes operations, but the Fremantle Dockers have benefited from our research, expertise and facilities. We\u2019ve seen this partnership help launch careers, support women in sport and introduce thousands of international students to their first game of Australian football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Grand Final is a moment to celebrate that shared history \u2013 and the people who continue to build it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A partnership that opens doors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Over just the past five years, we\u2019ve seen more than 150 work-integrated learning placements take place at Fremantle. Our students have helped shape the club, stepping into placements \u2013 from exercise science and architecture to multimedia and business \u2013 and gaining real-world experience with the guidance of the people who keep it running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commerce student Holly is one of them. During her three-month marketing internship with Fremantle she created content, organised interviews with players and led meetings, helping her put her studies into practice.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Holly gained real-world experience through a work-integrated learning placement with the Fremantle Dockers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Those first steps can become lasting connections. More than 50 Curtin alumni have gone on to work at the club, some after starting as interns. Their contribution reflects the range of skills a sporting organisation needs to be the best \u2013 from communicating with fans to understanding athlete performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharing knowledge and expertise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Research is another important part of the relationship. More than 25 supervised projects across data science and exercise science have connected Curtin expertise with practical questions for Fremantle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the club, these collaborations bring new perspectives to the challenges of elite sport. For Curtin students and researchers, they offer a chance to apply their expertise in a professional sporting environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curtin graduate Trent Picciacco\u2019s experience is just one example. Working with Fremantle and the Kookaburras, he used data and machine learning to analyse athlete performance, gaining experience that helped prepare him for his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Studying Data Science allowed me to apply analytical and mathematical thinking to real-world problems. For example, I worked closely with the Australian men\u2019s hockey team the Kookaburras and the Fremantle Dockers, using data and machine learning to enhance athletes\u2019 performance. I really enjoyed the cross-discipline nature of the work and it gave me the experience and confidence I needed when I started my graduate job.
\nTrent Picciacco
\nBachelor of Science (Data Science) (Honours), Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) <\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n\n

Curtin connections in purple<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The ties between Curtin and Fremantle also run through the people fans see on the field and hear around the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among them is Andrew Brayshaw, who was studying Commerce at Curtin when he was named one of the university\u2019s Sport Stars of the Year in 2022. The award recognised his sporting achievements alongside his studies \u2013 a connection that gives the Curtin community another reason to cheer him on in purple.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Fremantle Dockers players and Curtin alumni Andrew Brayshaw and Hayley Miller were recognised at the Curtin Sport Awards.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In AFLW, Curtin alumna Hayley Miller pursued her football career alongside her physiotherapy studies and was named the Vice-Chancellor\u2019s Elite Athlete Alumni Inductee in 2022. Madeleine Scanlon was completing honours in Marine and Coastal Science when Fremantle drafted her in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Curtin physiotherapy graduate Hayley Miller pursued her AFLW career alongside her studies.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

And at Optus Stadium, commerce graduate and broadcaster Pete Curulli helps bring fans into the action as a Fremantle match-day MC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together, they\u2019re part of a wider community whose experiences span university life and football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bringing people together<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For thousands of Curtin students, this partnership has also offered a memorable introduction to life in Western Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2023, almost 3,000 international students from more than 57 countries have taken part in the International Student Game Day \u2013 a chance to experience a game of footy, soak up the atmosphere and share an afternoon in the stands with fellow students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The relationship also creates opportunities to celebrate culture and share stories. In 2024, the Yoowarl Koorl showcase brought Curtin researchers and former Fremantle players together through podcasting, virtual reality, animation, language and storytelling. Projects featured Troy Cook, Alicia Janz, Dale Kickett and Jeff Farmer, bringing their experiences and perspectives to new audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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