The winners of the inaugural 2016 Collingwood STEM Cup have participated in a unique experience at the Holden Centre to get a behind the scenes look at how statistics and data analysis inform recruitment and performance strategy.
The Collingwood STEM Cup is a national online mathematics competition, held during the AFL season, that allows students, teachers and fans to experience a “day in the life” of Dominic Milesi, the 'Capologist' at the Collingwood Football Club.
The competition involves choosing player salaries for the 2017 season based on individual performance statistics, whilst ensuring the team’s overall spend is under the AFL Salary Cap. The competition winners chose salaries for players that were closest to the actual figures decided by Milesi, Collingwood’s Capologist.
The winners were treated to an exclusive experience that included a tour and briefing at the Holden Centre led by former club stalwart, Simon Prestigiacomo. The winners were then given an in-depth look at how the Collingwood staff leverages statistics and data analysis to drive success by Collingwood’s Capologists Milesi and Daniel Pelchin. The winners were then presented with awards recognizing their achievement by assistant coach Robert Harvey.
The Collingwood STEM Cup is the first program released by Day of STEM, a free online platform powered by LifeJourney, which is designed to build awareness and inspire interest in Australia’s youth to pursue degrees and career pathways in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT) has also promoted the initiative with its national member base of teachers and their schools so Australian students can better appreciate the power of mathematics from the classroom to the football field.
The competition will be held again towards the end of the 2017 season.
