Damien Keeping

Damien Keeping
Keeping in February 2017
Personal information
Date of birth (1972-05-25) 25 May 1972 (age 52)
Coaching career3
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
2017–2018 Carlton (W) 12 (4–7–1)
Total 12 (4–7–1)
3 Coaching statistics correct as of 2018.

Damien Keeping (born 25 May 1972) is an Australian rules football coach who served as the head coach of the Carlton Football Club in its first two seasons in the AFL Women's competition (AFLW), from 2017 to 2018.

Coaching career

[edit]

Beginnings

[edit]

After coaching junior boys football at Gisborne Rookies at local level Keeping took up a role as assistant coach with the Calder Cannons in the TAC Cup.[1] From there he made his first foray into women's football, moving on to coach the Victorian Metro Youth Girls side as an assistant coach. He later also served at the VWFL Women's Academy.[2]

In 2016 Keeping worked as the head coach of the Western Bulldogs representative side in that year's women's exhibition series.[3]

AFL Women's

[edit]

Keeping was appointed as the inaugural head coach of Carlton's AFL Women's side in June 2016.[1][4]

He coached the side to three wins and a draw from seven matches in the league's inaugural season in 2017.

After coaching the club to victory in its first match of the 2018 season, it was announced that Keeping had been admitted to hospital with an undisclosed illness. He was replaced in rounds 2 and 3 by assistant coach Nick Rutley, before Keeping returned to coaching in round 4.[5][6] He failed to secure a win in the club's final four matches of the season, instead coaching Carlton to a wooden spoon finish with two wins.[7] Keeping and the club parted ways by mutual agreement on 20 March, just two days after the home and away season's end.[8] He had coached the club to 12 matches across his two seasons.

Coaching statistics

[edit]
Statistics are correct to the end of 2018
Legend
 W  Wins  L  Losses  D  Draws  W%  Winning percentage  LP  Ladder position  LT  League teams
Season Team Games W L D W % LP LT
2017 Carlton 7 3 3 1 43% 4 8
2018 Carlton 5 1 4 0 20% 8 8
Career totals 12 4 7 1 33%

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Keeping to coach Carlton's AFL women". SBS News. SBS. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  2. ^ Olle, Sarah (9 June 2017). "The man behind the Blues' aggressive trade period: Carlton's AFLW coach Damien Keeping". Fox Sports. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  3. ^ Matthews, Bruce (3 March 2016). "Women's footy: The long pre-season is over". AFL Media. Telstra Media. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  4. ^ Sewell, Eliza (29 June 2016). "Carlton poaches Western Bulldogs coach Damien Keeping as women's teams take shape". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Club statement: Keeping". Carlton Media. Telstra Media. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  6. ^ "AFLW team selection: Round 4". Carlton Media. AFL Media. 22 February 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  7. ^ "CARLTON WFC". Australian Football. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  8. ^ "Club statement: Damien Keeping". Carlton Media. Telstra Media. 20 March 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
[edit]