Platinum Asset Management (Platinum) and GAIN LINE Analytics (GAIN LINE) have crowned National Rugby League club Melbourne Storm as Australasia’s (Australia and New Zealand) Best Sporting Team (ABST) for 2020.
It’s the second year in a row both Platinum and GAIN LINE have crowned the Storm as the Best Sporting Team, the Storm also took out the NRL Premiership for the second time in four years.
Every national league game in every sport in Australasia that is played on an ongoing home/away basis or equivalent competition that included Australian teams has been analysed subject to the competition criteria. The annual analysis, based on rolling five year outcomes (2016-2020) has grown to 18 competitions, including seven women’s competitions, and the Oceanic Pro League (esports). Over 8,000 individual matches were included in the dataset analysed.
The purpose of looking for ABST is to bring an analytical approach to how relationships within teams – better known as ‘cohesion’ – are important drivers of success or failure. GAIN LINE measures and drills down to understand what makes teams and teams within teams so successful through their unique set of Cohesion Analytics metrics which measures team cohesion in the long-term, medium-term and during the season.
While there were small movements among the leaders from 2019, Crusaders (rugby union), who were GAIN LINE’s original leaders based on their 25-year analysis from 1994-2018, closed the gap at the top after winning Super Rugby Aotearoa, their fourth title in a row. The top five is rounded out by Sydney FC (football), NSW Breakers (cricket) and Richmond (AFL).
Out of the 64 women’s teams GAIN LINE analysed, a second women’s team broke into the top 10, Melbourne City (football) joining the NSW Breakers.
Evolving trends led to the inclusion of esports in the ladder, with Chiefs Esports Club highest ranked at 11th overall. AFL clubs Adelaide Crows has a stake in this year’s OPL winners, Legacy Esports.
Douglas Isles, investment specialist from Platinum commented: “Ben Darwin and GAIN LINE’s theories on cohesion resonated with my own understanding of the strength of Platinum’s investment team. Having become GAIN LINE’s first corporate client, their analysis confirmed we had something special. Every day, I see examples in the corporate world, where cohesion, or the lack of it, is pivotal to the outcome. To recognise sporting excellence and support great causes is a worthwhile follow up to the work we have been doing.”
In recognition of Melbourne Storm’s success, they were presented with the opportunity to make a donation to a charitable cause and they chose to support the Starlight Children’s Foundation.
For the full criteria and results of the top 25 overall, top three by sport and top three by state/country, hit this link: www.platinum.com.au/abst2020.
