Hello, welcome to The Ultimate Guide to Jobs in Sport! 👋 

Here you’ll find interviews with (almost) every job in the sports industry.
We ask people living the dream:

“How did you get your job?” and “What does it actually involve?”
So that you can land a dream job in sports too.

Enjoy!

#345: Sports journalism, A-League bids, and building a media agency - Matt Windley on creating a career in sport

Meet Matt Windley, the Chief Operating Officer at Bruce Media.

In this episode, we follow Matt’s diverse journey from sports journalist at the Herald Sun, working alongside some of the biggest names in sports journalism like Mike Sheehan to projects such as leading a bid for prospective A-League side Team 11.

We breakdown how he supported Melbourne City’s move to Casey Fields, set the foundations for Auckland FC and now tells stories of the world game at creative media and marketing agency Bruce Media.

Matt has been a popular face around football recently with Bruce Media’s Breaking Barriers documentary which is likened to the global phenomenon Welcome to Wrexham on a smaller scale.

🔥 Quickfire Questions

1. What inspired you to work in sport?
   I knew I wanted to be a sports journalist at the Herald Sun from when I was six years old. And I had a singular focus on that until I was 18!

2. What was your first sports-related role?
   Sports Journalist at the Herald Sun

3. What did you study after high school?
   Went straight to the Herald Sun out of high school - I’m the last (I believe…) to do it the old school way!

4. What's one interview question you were asked to answer for this role?

   Why are you wearing a pink wrist band under your shirt?

5. A book or podcast recommendation that's helped your career?

   This Is Marketing by Seth Godin

6. If you could try another job in sports for a day, what would it be?
   To actually be an athlete that was half decent…

What exactly does your job involve?

Right now I’m the Chief Executive Officer of a media and marketing company called Bruce. We do a lot of stuff in sport, especially soccer. We get to help a lot of organisations tell their stories in creative ways. But I’m also engaged in a lot of different strategic projects, where we pitch in from an advisory or project management standpoint.

What are some of the responsibilities of your role?

Management of staff. Management of finances. Client liaison. Preparing briefs. Lots of phone calls!

What does your career journey look like?

Sports Journalist at the Herald Sun for more or less 10 years.

Left there to lead the Team 11 A-League bid in South East Melbourne in 2018 (was employed by Dandenong and Casey Councils).

Stayed there and ultimately ended up working to convince Melbourne City to move out to Casey Fields. Project managed that move from Council’s perspective, including legal negotiations, facility design, community engagement.

Left there to go to the APL in 2022. Worked on expansion, including in Auckland helping set up Auckland FC.

Then moved to Bruce in 2024.

What are the issues with the sports industry you think people should be aware of before they enter?

It seems incredibly glamorous. And it is - can be - very fun. But very often the pay is terrible, the hours are incredibly demanding and it can take a toll on your personal and social life if you are not careful.

Have you ever felt stuck or lost, and if so, how did you decide what path to take?

I think I’ve taken the world’s most bizarre career paths. I always need a crazy project. I’m prepared to back myself in and take risks.

Can you recall a sliding-doors moment where a connection changed the trajectory of your career?

Yes! One of the original inspirations of Melbourne Victory (Tony Ising) called me one day to ask if there was any legitimacy to this reported bid from South East Melbourne to get into the A-League. I said no. He said someone should do it. I asked myself: “why shouldn’t I do it?” If I didn’t get that call, maybe I’d still be at the Herald Sun!

When you landed your job, what do you think made you stand out?

Passion, work ethic and an ability to think about and consider a range of different problems and perspectives rather than being solo focused.

What advice would you give to your younger-self to help them take action?

You can’t beat work ethic. If you want to do something, you are absolutely capable of doing it. But no one is going to hand it to you for free.

What’s your #1 ‘pinch me’ moment working in sport?

Legit - meeting Ian Thorpe at the Australian Sport Hall of Fame awards late last year!

What do you think your life would look like if you hadn't pursued a career in sport?

I have zero idea. My wife asks me this all the time when she tells me to get a new job 😂

Others you might like to learn from:

#338: From the AFL, to Cricket NT CEO at 29, to Executive GM at Cricket Australia with Joel Morrison

#337: How Dante beat 99% of Grads to land his dream job at Cricket Australia

#309: How I landed my dream job at Cricket Australia | Reuben Williams, Founder of SportsGrad