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Feeling the Game: Shaun Keath on the AFL’s New Era of Inclusion

  • Writer: Peta
    Peta
  • Sep 16
  • 8 min read

In this episode, lifelong AFL fan Sean Keith shares how groundbreaking technology is transforming the way blind and vision-impaired people experience footy. He opens up about the isolation of attending games in the past, the excitement and challenges of testing the new Touch and Track device, and why inclusion in sport matters so deeply.


Key Moments:

  • [1:09] Sean introduces himself and his lifelong passion for AFL.

  • [1:16] How the Touch and Track device works, from cameras to vibrations.

  • [2:24] The isolating experience of attending games before this technology.

  • [6:51] How the device originated in the UK and was adapted for AFL.

  • [13:15] The future of Touch and Track in other stadiums and sports.

  • [14:19] Inside the Victorian Blind Football League.

  • [17:17] What still needs improving for the device to reach its potential.


Connect with Peta:

Instagram: @petahooke



Transcript:


00:00:03Peta Hooke: Hello, and welcome to the I Can’t Stand Podcast, the show that explores what it’s like to live with disability. I’m Peta Hooke, I have cerebral palsy, and I’m your host. Every week I sit down with a person with disability whose lived experiences and perspectives are reshaping how disability is viewed and understood, not just within our community but by non-disabled people too. Today I’m speaking with Shaun Keath about an exciting new AFL technology designed for blind and vision-impaired fans, illustrating why inclusion in sport matters so deeply. Let’s get into it.


00:00:56Shaun Keath: Thanks, Peta. My name is Shaun. I’ve just turned forty-seven. I’ve had a vision impairment since birth, and I’m an absolute sports fanatic, especially when it comes to AFL.


00:01:09Peta Hooke: So tell me about the Touch and Track device that’s now been introduced in the AFL.


00:01:16Shaun Keath: Yeah, so Telstra have a device called Touch and Track. It’s about the size of a tablet, like an iPad, but it’s tactile. There’s a little metal ring that works like a magnet and moves around the screen in real time. There are about twelve to fourteen cameras at Marvel Stadium tracking the ball and relaying it to the device almost instantly. As soon as someone kicks the ball, the magnet moves. There are also different vibrations: if someone kicks a goal, the vibration lasts four to five seconds; for a point, it’s about half a second.


00:02:02Peta Hooke: That’s amazing technology. I get so excited to hear about inclusion in areas I wouldn’t have even thought could be improved. Before this device existed, how did you engage with AFL?


00:02:24Shaun Keath: I’ve been going to the footy since I was a young tacker, and it’s always been the same. I’d have a radio in my hand and headphones on. I can see a little bit of colour, depending on what guernseys the players are wearing, but I can’t tell who has the ball or what’s happening. It was quite isolating — I couldn’t socialise with my mates because I always had headphones in. Sometimes the radio coverage was delayed, and sometimes you couldn’t even get reception. Some days I’d just sit there not knowing what was going on.


I never thought this kind of technology would exist. I was involved in testing it for two years before launch. At first, I thought, “This is a great idea, but it’s never going to work,” because the early prototypes didn’t function properly. But each time it improved. Now that it’s fully available at Marvel, I love it. I can use just one headphone, so I still have the radio but can also talk to my mates. It used to be such an anti-social day for me, but now it’s completely enhanced the experience.


00:03:47Peta Hooke: How did you get involved with the project? It sounds like it was a long process. Were you worried it might not work out?


00:04:13Shaun Keath: It was a bit random. I got a Facebook message from a guy I’d never heard of, from a production company Telstra had hired. This was on a Tuesday. He got my name through the AFL Blind Football League. He asked if I wanted to be involved in a video on the Saturday. I still don’t know why he chose me — there are thirty or forty players in the league.

When I first tried it, the prototype didn’t really work. It was bulky and unreliable. I thought, “Great idea, but it won’t go anywhere.” But every few months, Telstra would call me down to test a new update, and slowly it got better. My biggest worry was that the vision-impaired community wouldn’t embrace it, and then Telstra wouldn’t release it. But from what I’ve seen, it’s been really successful.


00:05:23Peta Hooke: Why did you think the vision-impaired community might not embrace it?


00:05:42Shaun Keath: A few reasons. Honestly, the vision-impaired community can be stubborn — we’ve been doing things the same way for thirty or forty years, so some people think, “Why change it if it’s not broken?” Another concern was that if the tech didn’t work properly on match day, it could leave people with a bad impression. That’s happened — once the stadium Wi-Fi dropped out and the device stopped working. People with and without disability can be resistant to change, so I worried about that too.


00:06:33Peta Hooke: Do you know who actually created the device? You mentioned Telstra, but did they partner with someone?


00:06:51Shaun Keath: Yes. It was developed by a company in Ireland called Field Division. They’d already built a prototype for soccer in the UK. The AFL saw it and thought it would be a good fit here, so they invited Field Division to adapt it for AFL. They’re the real brains behind it. One of the founders had friends who couldn’t enjoy live soccer, so they wanted to create something to help. They’ve done an amazing job.


00:07:45Peta Hooke: Obviously soccer and AFL are very different. What needed to be adapted for our game?


00:08:01Shaun Keath: AFL grounds are much bigger than soccer pitches, so they needed more cameras — probably double. AFL is also more complex: there are marks, handballs, tackles, intercepts — so many different outcomes. They introduced unique vibrations for each. At first, it took me a while to learn what each vibration meant. Some are short, some long, some stronger. It just takes practice.


00:09:12Peta Hooke: Can you explain how the cameras actually help the device work?


00:09:30Shaun Keath: It’s all done through AI. The cameras track the ball in real time. Early on, there was a person moving the ball manually on a laptop, but now it’s fully automated. No humans are inputting “goal” or “mark” — the cameras and AI do it all.


00:10:36Peta Hooke: Are there many devices available at Marvel? Do you have to pre-book?


00:10:42Shaun Keath: There are about thirty devices at the moment, with more coming. You pre-book on the Marvel Stadium website. It’s free, and you return it after the game. The technology keeps improving, so I think they’re rolling it out gradually.

I already went to lots of games, but now I go even more because I enjoy it so much. Before, I’d often stay home, saying I could follow the game better on TV. Not anymore. I still need the radio as well, but the device enhances the experience. Feedback has been especially positive from people who are totally blind.


00:12:00Peta Hooke: Could this be expanded to other sports or stadiums?


00:12:42Shaun Keath: Definitely. Telstra are in talks with other stadiums — I’d love to see it at the MCG or Kardinia Park in Geelong. It could also work for soccer, rugby, basketball, even netball. In the US, another company is developing a similar device for the NBA.


00:14:02Peta Hooke: You mentioned you play in the Victorian Blind Football League. Can you explain how that works?


00:14:19Shaun Keath: Sure. There are three categories:

  • B1 for totally blind players,

  • B2 for very limited vision,

  • B3 for those with a bit more sight.


The rules are adjusted: for B1 and B2, the ball just has to touch them in the torso area to count as a mark. Goals are worth more points depending on classification — 18 points for B1, 9 for B2, and 6 for B3. It’s meant to be non-tackle, though it can still get physical. Games are played indoors with six players a side. It’s very competitive, not just a kick-around.

There are three teams — two AFL-affiliated and one VFL-affiliated. It’s still under ten years old and evolving each season. Players are classified professionally by ophthalmologists to keep it fair.


00:16:16Peta Hooke: And the ball? Does it have a bell like other blind sports?


00:16:27Shaun Keath: It’s a Sherrin footy, bright-coloured, slightly softer, and it has a buzzer inside. You charge it, and there’s a button to turn the sound on. Batteries don’t last long, so you sometimes swap balls mid-game. In blind cricket, we use balls with ball bearings inside, but this is more high-tech.


00:17:00Peta Hooke: What still needs improvement with the Touch and Track device?


00:17:17Shaun Keath: Mainly Wi-Fi. Stadium Wi-Fi can be patchy, so sometimes the device lags or cuts out. The device itself is great — that’s the one thing I’d improve.


00:17:52Peta Hooke: How many people with disability were involved in testing?


00:18:00Shaun Keath: Probably about thirty people with vision impairment, with support from Vision Australia and Guide Dogs Victoria.


00:19:27Peta Hooke: I hope you were paid well for your time and expertise.


00:19:40Shaun Keath: Not really. I got lots of footy tickets and some gift vouchers. But honestly, I would have done it for nothing. The experience has been amazing. I’ve done public speaking, media, and met AFL players — opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise.


00:20:22Peta Hooke: Finally, one of the reasons I started the I Can’t Stand Podcast was because strangers often ask me silly or inappropriate questions. So I like to ask my guests: what’s a question you can’t stand being asked by a stranger?


00:21:12Shaun Keath: I’ve had a few. Once, at a government job, a colleague asked, “How do you shower if you can’t see?” I had no idea how to answer that. Other times, especially in pubs or cafés, people see me holding my phone close and try to hand me their glasses. Just recently, an elderly woman tried to give me hers! It’s usually well-meaning, but awkward. Online, I’ve also seen comments saying it’s an “OH&S issue” to have me behind the goals at the footy in case the ball hits me. I just replied, “I’m all good, I’m safe.” People can be naive if they’ve never met someone with vision impairment.


00:22:52Peta Hooke: Which is exactly why technology like this matters — so everyone can enjoy sport like everyone else.


00:23:08Shaun Keath: I completely agree.


00:23:12Peta Hooke: Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the I Can’t Stand Podcast. If you enjoyed today’s conversation, the best way you can support the show is by sharing it with a friend or posting about it on social media. If you have a moment, leaving a rating and review helps more people find these stories.

You can always send me an email at icantstandpodcast@gmail.com, or follow me on Instagram at @petahooke. I’ll see you next week.


I would like to respectfully acknowledge the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, on whose land I record this podcast. I pay my respects to Elders past and present, and to First Nations people with disability.


 
 
 
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