Australia is well known around the world for its love of sports and for many people, working in their sport of choice is a dream job. Not all sporting jobs belong to the athletes though, there are many ways in which you can amass a career in the sporting industry in Australia, no matter what your sport of choice is.
Tennis
Tennis is a quite lucrative industry if you can reach professional levels. As a player, you can earn over $100,000 a year if you are top-seeded and that amount expands insurmountably if you make it onto the international tournament circuit. For example, number one seeded champion Novak Djokovic earned $7.5 million in 2021 alone. Being able to reach such an elite level requires as much work as you would think. Australian Alex de Minaur has made nearly $1 million this year so far and he is only 22. Consistent training, fitness and innate skill are required for this job to get to the top level.
Cricket
Australians love a good game of cricket. It is an international sport with more than 105 countries recognized by the ICC. Though cricket may appear boring to some, to the keen-minded it is almost like a game of chess; fielders need to be placed in strategic places to have the best chance of getting the batsmen out. Becoming a cricket coach is a lifelong journey for some and the best of the best can utilise the strategy required to their advantage. The top players in Australia earn around $278,000 under their current contract. They have to be in peak form in both body and mindset as they have to play against other pro teams from around the world.
Horse Racing
Australia has its share of internationally famed jockeys but the height and weight requirements for a professional jockey can be limiting to some. With this in mind, we can also look at other top jobs in the elite horse racing industry which can be lucrative. Training racehorses requires a finely honed set of skills and those who are betting on the Melbourne Cup or other important races will closely consider the trainer of a horse together with many other aspects. Many retired jockeys move into racehorse training but others also study veterinary sciences and animal psychology to reach professional trainer status.
AFL
As a professional AFL player, where you play on the field depends on where your strengths lie. Full-forwards that have excelled in their position include Gary Ablett, Matthew Lloyd and Brendan Fevola and are just a sprinkle of the legends who have played the game throughout its 120-year history. Player’s salaries are generally around $260,000 while some star players such as Lance Franklin from the Sydney Swans’ have reached $1.5 million a year. These players have to be in peak form to maintain their earnings and often a career as an AFL player can be short-lived due to injury or age, leaving a very small window to go pro. For the lucky ones, a career as an AFL player can lead to a range of future sporting career choices from coaching to commentating to motivational speaking.
Though many people may dream of a life working in the sporting industry, it takes perseverance and commitment to achieve professional status. These are but a few of the jobs available in the sporting industry with a world of other options available too.
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