David Parkin

David Parkin is one of Australia’s most inspirational and motivational corporate speakers. Transferring his talent from the sporting and academic arenas to the world of business, David inspires audiences with the power to perform with greater effectiveness and to rise to greater heights in their business and personal life. He is rated as a superbly practical and motivating speaker.

David’s accomplishments as a football player and coach are outstanding. They include captaining the Hawthorn Football Club to their second premiership in 1971, and then coaching them to a flag in 1978. He later coached Carlton Football Club to successive Premierships in 1981-82, as well as taking them to a record breaking number of victories in 1995, which culminated with them becoming Premiers.

David’s professional experience includes President of the Australian Football Coaches Association (1994-2002); Executive Officer Australian Football Coaches Association (1989-90); Director of Football, Hawthorn Football Club (2001-2002) and President, Australian Football Coaches Association (Victorian Branch)

He spent twenty-four years as Senior Coach, Victorian Football League/WAFL/AFL and nine years as Physical Education Adviser to Hawthorn Football Club. He was State Director of Coaching for the Victorian Football Development Foundation from 1989 to 1990 and was State Coach in 1979, 1982-83 and 1989-1990.

As a player, David Parkin played 220 Senior Games for Hawthorn (212) and Subiaco (8) from 1961 to 1974 and was captain for 6 years of Hawthorn Football Club from 1968 to 1973. He was also State Representative in 1965 and 1968.

David has been an AFL commentator on ABC Radio, Radio 774 and Fox Sports. He was AFL All Australian Coach in 1995 and is a Member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame (2002) and the Inaugural Member of the Hawthorn Football Club Hall of Fame (2003).

David Parkin’s academic achievements include developing and lecturing in the Sports Coaching Degree course at Deakin University. He has also lectured at Victoria College Burwood Campus, State College of Victoria Burwood Campus and Burwood Teachers College.

A prolific writer, David has written and published more than a dozen books and numerous articles including: Preparing the Australian Footballer (1979); Children’s Sport – Equalizing the Opportunity to Play (Sports Coach, 1980); Premiership Football (1984, revised 1987) and Perform or Else (1999). His book Winning With Pumped Up People (2001) co-authored with Paul Bourke, focuses on helping employers and employees achieve business success in a changing marketplace. David and Paul also wrote What Makes Teams Work (2004), having interviewed dozens of CEO’s and taken a detail look at successful

Australian companies like Flight Centres, Ford Australia (Ford’s only profitable worldwide subsidiary) and Dun & Brad Street, as well as top Australian coaches such as Leigh Matthews, Brian Goorjian and Ric Charlesworth. The book has been described as “The In-Search of Excellence” for Australia – it explores the reasons for and lesson from the highly successful businesses and sporting teams.

David’s client list includes MLC Life, Spalding Australia, RACV, Campbells Soups, Telstra Australia, Australia Post and KPMG.

David Parkin talks about:

• Team dynamics
• Planning, preparation and performance
• Motivation, achievement, success and enjoyment
• Ownership and empowerment
• Organizational and individual changes
• Health / lifestyle management
• People development
• Coaching culture
• Values and team rules
• Recruitment