Why Auditors Need to Shift from Referee to Goalkeeper
“Forty per cent of audits show major deficiencies. With AI reshaping audit in Australia and APAC, auditors must shift from referee to goalkeeper to protect audit quality.”
Audit quality under pressure
Audit regulators continue to sound the alarm. In 2022, the U.S. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board found that 40% of audits it inspected contained one or more significant deficiencies (Tellen.ai). Similar concerns have surfaced across Australia and the wider APAC region, where inspection results point to recurring weaknesses in risk assessment and testing.
For firms already battling compressed timelines, resource shortages and evolving regulations, these findings are a reminder that current approaches are not keeping pace.
The goalkeeper analogy
At the recent Caseware Speaker Series, cybersecurity and risk expert David Gee argued that the profession must rethink its role.
“Referees only call it when they see it,” he said. “Goalkeepers anticipate threats, position themselves ahead of time, and protect the team from loss.”
For auditors, this means shifting from a compliance-first mindset to one that anticipates risk, leverages technology and prevents problems before they surface.
Technology is redefining the play
The tools now exist to make that shift possible. According to KPMG, 76% of Australian companies are already using or piloting AI in financial reporting, and 89% expect full adoption in the near term (The Australian).
For auditors, AI and automation open the door to:
- population-level testing instead of sampling
- continuous transaction monitoring
- faster anomaly detection
- more time spent on judgment and assurance rather than routine checks
Yet adoption across firms remains uneven. In the UK, regulators recently noted that even the largest firms do not consistently track how automation is influencing audit quality (Financial Times).
Referees vs goalkeepers
The difference in approach is clear:
| Referee Auditing | Goalkeeper Auditing |
| Focus on compliance after the fact | Anticipate and prevent issues before they arise |
| Sample-based testing | Data-driven population analysis |
| Limited communication until the report | Early engagement with clients on risks |
| Success measured by compliance | Success measured by risk prevention and value creation |
What holds firms back
Despite the opportunity, auditors in Australia and across APAC face practical barriers:
- Resource constraints: Peak season workloads leave little room for innovation.
- Skills gaps: Many teams lack the data literacy and judgment to interpret AI outputs effectively.
- Technology integration: Firms often invest in tools but fail to embed them in workflows.
- Mindset: Audit is still seen as retrospective rather than anticipatory.
Practical shifts for audit teams
Moving toward the goalkeeper role does not require a radical overhaul. Firms can start with targeted actions:
- Use analytics in planning to flag risks before fieldwork.
- Pilot continuous monitoring tools for high-risk areas.
- Train staff in data literacy and AI interpretation, not just technical standards.
- Redefine audit quality metrics to include issues caught early or prevented.
- Communicate differently with clients, share insights throughout the process, not just at the end.
Why the profession cannot wait
The regulatory bar is rising. Clients want more than compliance. AI is changing what is possible in audit. Staying in referee mode risks leaving firms reactive and exposed.
Adopting the goalkeeper mindset positions auditors as proactive protectors of trust, anticipating threats, preventing risks, and reinforcing their value in an industry under pressure.
Join the next conversation
The Caseware Speaker Series is designed to help practice firms tackle these challenges head-on. Each session brings together experts and practitioners to explore the innovations shaping accounting and audit, the risks firms need to anticipate, and the tools that support teams in achieving success.
Don’t miss the next Caseware Speaker Series, subscribe here. Join peers across APAC for practical insights you can apply immediately.
Go deeper at CwX APAC
If the Speaker Series is the warm-up, CwX APAC is the main event. Think of it as the Caseware Speaker Series on steroids: a full program that brings together regional leaders, audit innovators, and technology experts to address the profession’s biggest challenges.
CwX is where you step back from the busy season, gain perspective and prepare for what comes next. Whether it’s AI, ESG, or reshaping the audit playbook, the event offers the depth and breadth that practice firms need to thrive.
Register now for CwX APAC 2025 and join the conversation shaping the future of audit in the region.
