You can track your child’s AFL stats on your phone during a game without constantly staring at a screen. The key is knowing what to watch for — and what to leave out.
This isn’t about capturing everything. It’s about capturing the right things, quickly enough that you still see the game.
What Stats Are Actually Worth Tracking?
Not all AFL stats are equal. Some happen fast and are easy to log. Others require you to watch a longer sequence of play that you’ll miss if you’re fumbling with your phone.
Start with these four. They’re visible, discrete, and take one tap to record:
Disposals — Every kick and handball your child makes. This is the foundation stat. You’ll see it happen, it ends clearly, and it gives you a genuine picture of how involved they were.
Marks — When they take a clean catch. Easy to spot, worth celebrating in the data.
Tackles — When they bring an opponent to ground. Physical effort that often goes unrecognised in a team scoreline.
Goals and behinds — If they play forward, this matters to them. A lot.
Once you’re comfortable with those four, you can layer in extras like contested possessions, clearances, or hit-outs if your child plays in the ruck. But for most parents starting out, disposals, marks, tackles, and score involvements cover what you need.
How to Stay Present on the Sideline
The biggest concern parents have is the same one: “I’ll be looking at my phone when they do something great.”
Here’s how to avoid it.
Record reactively, not predictively. Don’t watch your phone waiting for something to tap — watch the game. When your child does something, log it immediately after. A disposal takes two seconds to tap. Your eyes can go back to the game before the next kick has even been taken.
And accept that you’ll miss some. You’re a parent watching your kid play, not a data analyst. If you catch 80% of their disposals, that’s still meaningful data. Perfection is not the goal. Participation is.
When you do miss something, leave it blank. Don’t guess. A stat you’re not sure about is worse than a gap — it quietly corrupts the picture over time. If your child kicks a goal and you caught it, log it. If there was a scramble in the forward pocket and you think they might have touched it, let it go. The numbers are only useful if you trust them.
The Halftime Check-In
One of the best sideline habits you can build: do a quick review at halftime.
Not to analyse anything deeply — just to glance at the numbers. Four disposals in the first half. Two tackles. One mark. That’s a picture of how the game is going for your child specifically, not just for the team.
If you’re using an app like ScorX, that halftime summary is already on your screen. You don’t have to add anything up.
It also gives you something specific to say at the end of the game that isn’t just “well done.” “You had eight disposals today, that’s your best game this season” lands differently than a general pat on the back. Kids notice. They remember.
After the Game: Where the Stats Actually Matter
The game is the easy part. What you do with the data is where development happens.
Even something simple like comparing three or four games side by side starts to show patterns. Are they getting more involved as the season goes on? Are their tackles going up while their disposals stay flat — suggesting they’re working hard but not getting the ball? Is there a specific quarter where their numbers drop off?
These are the conversations worth having with your child and their coach — grounded in something real, not just impressions from the sideline.
Recording stats during a game takes maybe 30 seconds of your attention across a whole quarter. The return on that investment, in terms of actual development conversations, is significant.
Frequently Asked Questions
What AFL stats should I track for a junior player?
Start with disposals (kicks and handballs), marks, tackles, and goals or behinds. These four give you a clear picture of involvement and effort without requiring specialist knowledge to record.
Can I track AFL stats on my phone without missing the game?
Yes. The key is recording after each event, not during it. Each stat takes one or two taps and a second of attention. With a bit of practice, you’ll barely notice you’re doing it.
Is it worth tracking stats if my child is under 12?
Absolutely. At younger ages, the data is less about performance and more about visibility. Seeing that your child ran hard, made four tackles, and took two marks is meaningful to them regardless of the scoreboard.
Do I need to understand AFL well to track stats?
Not deeply. Disposals (kicks and handballs) and tackles are easy to identify for any parent who’s watched a few games. You can always ask a more experienced parent or coach to help you understand contested vs. uncontested possession if you want to go deeper.
What’s the best app for tracking AFL stats for kids?
ScorX is built specifically for youth sport stat tracking on the sideline. It’s free to download, covers AFL and 15+ other sports, and is designed for parents recording during a game — not analysts entering data after the fact.
ScorX is free to download on the App Store. Track your child’s first game this weekend.