AFL clubs explore facial recognition as new ticketing method Tue 28 Jul 2026 at 6:00am In short: Facial recognition technology (FRT) is being rolled out in Australia as an alternative to digital or paper tickets for live events. The Geelong Football Club has made it available to its members, while technology provider Wicket says it is in "active discussions" with other AFL clubs. What's next? Experts are concerned about how the collected biometric data could be used and whether it opens the door for broader uses of FRT. Your face could be your next big ticket. With a scan of it, you could be granted entry to AFL games, concerts or even conferences. Facial recognition technology (FRT), which has been used instead of digital or paper tickets in places like the United States for NFL games and college sports, is expanding in Australia. It is being explored by AFL clubs, having already been an option at the Australian Open since 2024 through Ticketmaster. When asked for their thoughts on the technology, football fans had mixed opinions. "I think it'd be great, a lot quicker." "I don't like the thought of my face being recorded for every occasion if I was going to something." "That's the way technology is going, so I'm OK with that." "People know who you are anyway." "Who has that sort of information and how long are they going to hold onto it?" "You've got facial recognition on other apps ... so it shouldn't be a big deal." American company Wicket, which owns the technology being used in Australia, said it helped tackle congestion at event entry points by making them quicker. Chief operating officer Jeff Boehm said every NFL team in the US used FRT for some form of entry, including entry of staff or credentialed