If you’re a footy fan, Google has your back. This morning, the internet search giant announced a raft of updates to both Google Search and Google Assistant that will provide AFL, NRL and Australian Rugby fans with live scores, sports news and more.
A couple of days back I noticed a slight change on Google’s Search page when I was searching for the AFL schedule and results.
Nice to see Google include @AFL and @aflwomens scores straight from search now. We didn’t get this last year, right? Or even last week? pic.twitter.com/ycPTMap70j
— Jackson Ryan (@dctrjack) March 17, 2018
This feature has been available for American sports, such as the NFL, NHL and NBA, for some time now, but I was always galled by the fact I couldn’t just go straight to Google for Aussie sports. It’s such a convenient thing – I’m using Google almost all day everyday, so immediate results save a lot of clicks, especially for AFL matches. I’m glad that it has changed.
However, Google Search results for American sports generally provide slightly more in-depth coverage. You can click on any game to grab some extra news or even link through to stats and analysis. This feature didn’t appear for my AFL, AFLW or NRL searches, so Google still has a little bit more room to improve yet.
The update was announced on Google Australia’s blog this morning.
From today, you will be able to ask Google Assistant for the schedule (“When do the Adelaide Crows play next?”), live scores (“What’s the score in the Adelaide Crows game?) and even find out their ladder position (“Where are the Geelong Cats on the ladder and is it last place?)
On top of that, Google Assistant will always be learning with Google claiming that it will “understand your preferred team nicknames and the sports you care about over time”. For me, that hopefully means I will be able to ask “How the bloody ‘ell are the Crowies doing today Google?” but I am not holding my breath. You can also ask the Assistant to “talk like a footballer” which will give you some “classic post-match commentary full of the footy cliches we all know and secretly love.”
I haven’t given that a try yet, but give it a spin for yourself and let us know how it goes.
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