MSLA’s Off the Field Series presents members of our committee discussing career pathways and issues in sports law with some of the field’s leading experts. MSLA would like to sincerely thank our guests for their valuable contributions.
Episode 1: Andrew Twaits
In the first episode of ‘Off the Field’, MSLA president Benji Batten sits down with Andrew Twaits to learn about Andrew’s career journey from ‘accidental lawyer’ to ‘sports lawyer’ which has included at Cricket Australia, Betfair, Racing Victoria, and his current role as Independent Chair at the AFL Players Association.
With a wide variety of sports law experiences to draw from, Andrew provides a fascinating insight into the evolution of the Australian sports law landscape over the past 20 years, and shares his advice for students who are interested in combining their sporting and legal passions.
Episode 2: Adrian Anderson
In the second episode of 'Off the Field', MSLA member Ben Stirling sits down with barrister Adrian Anderson. For this interview, Adrian generously took the time to chart his career from a budding young Hawthorn fan, to student at Melbourne Law School, to clerk and then partner at Corrs, to head of football operations at the AFL, and now as a practising barrister representing clients across a range of areas of law.
Adrian also provides valuable insight in charting his career path, by discussing the value of relationships and new experiences throughout his journey alongside his approach of doing what he enjoys to get the most out of himself.
Episode 3: Nikki Dryden
In this episode, MSLA member Luke Karapetsas speaks with former Olympic swimmer Nikki Dryden. Nikki completed her law degree after retiring from competitive swimming and currently works as a human rights lawyer. She continues to be involved with sports as an academic writing regularly about the connection between sports and human rights.
Nikki offers knowledge and perspective over a range of topics, such as athlete rights and the role of sport in promoting human rights, and events, like the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Episode 4: Kate McGurk
MSLA’s Luke Karapetsas speaks with current senior associate at Lander & Rogers, Kate McGurk. Kate has been involved in numerous sports law cases throughout her career, dealing with athletes, clubs and sporting organisations.
Kate shares her knowledge and experience around becoming involved in sports law practice and the types of matters a sports lawyer can expect to deal with, offering valuable insights and advice for budding sports lawyers.
