8th August, 1997
Tony Jewell
Richmond Football Club
PO Box 48
Richmond, 3121
Dear Tony,
With the recent uncertainty surrounding the senior coaching position at your club, we write to offer our services with respect to this role. This correspondence is not meant to represent a waste of your time, or ours. We know we have something unique to offer your club. Our professional expertise in the burgeoning field of sports science, detailed below, will demonstrate our suitability to the multi-faceted demands required of modern football coaches operating at the highest level.
At this point a brief introduction is necessary. Damian Farrow has a M. App. Sc. specialising in the area of Skills Acquisition. Justin Kemp has a M. Sc. specialising in Exercise Physiology. We are both currently involved in the preparation and assessment of international athletes in both team and individual domains. Viewed individually, each of us may only offer what many others are currently providing in elite football coaching. But when considered as a partnership, we bring to the club the two most essential aspects of sports science required by elite football. We consider a number of qualities essential to achieve success as a senior AFL coach as the game moves towards the year 2000. A sound coaching philosophy, evocative communication skills, extensive tactical knowledge, playing experience and passion are all essential. In our tri-modal role as lecturers, coaches and sports scientists, delivering a message to impressionable young athletes is a daily task we vigorously perform.
With respect to our football experience at the hands-on level, we have concurrently pursued both academic and playing roles. For the past three years Damian’s research has focused on how to efficiently learn and perform football skills and strategies. He has extensive data comparing the actual game patterns to common training practices. The conclusions of this research highlight an inadequacy in the preparation of elite AFL footballers in the learning of detailed strategy and skills. Justin too has devoted the last three years of his professional career to ascertaining precisely the intricate physical demands of our great Australian game. His match analyses of movement patterns and energy system contributions are disturbing. Like Damian, he too was astonished at the lack of training specificity employed at AFL level. It is hoped the above paragraph illustrates Damian and Justin’s football philosophy of the dominant role that preparation contributes to on-field success.
From a playing perspective our achievements are somewhat modest to other senior AFL coaches. Justin was senior captain of McKinnon High School in 1987 and was subsequently drafted to Ormond Amateurs in the VAFA where he captured the U 19’s fourth best and fairest. While we agree this is hardly a Brownlow Medal it demonstrates that Justin has experienced the cut and thrust of senior football. In tragic circumstances Justin’s promising career as a high quality player was cut short due to repeated tears to the anterior cruciate ligament. While demoralising early Justin now uses this experience to understand the minds of injured athletes. Alternatively, Damian’s playing experience pales into comparison to his coaching experience, which more than compensates for his lack of on-ground success (back pocket in the Mazenod 2nd 18 in 1987). Damian has recently had the opportunity to implement some of our radical new training methodologies. Redan Football Club, a struggling team in the Ballarat Football League, invited Damian to utilise the aforementioned methodologies. This process, though initially met with scepticism, proved to be the kick start the club needed as its reserve team went on to win its first game of the year.
In conclusion, when considering our application as dual senior coaches of the Richmond Football Club, we leave you with the following quote; “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. We look forward to your reply.
Yours Sincerely,
Damian Farrow Justin Kemp
(M.App. Sc., B.Ed) (M. Sc., B.Ed)
Leave a Comment