No68 DAMIAN KEOGH
6 feet 4 inch (194cm) Guard
1984, 1988, 1992 Olympic Games
In 1972 a young ten year old watched the Munich Olympic Games on television and decided that one day he would represent Australia at the Olympics. His father had played in a demonstration game of Australian Rules Football at the 1956 Olympics and his stories about those games inspired the youngster. He decided that he would take his basketball playing more seriously.
Damian Thomas Keogh was born February 1st, 1962 in Melbourne, Victoria. He started playing basketball at age nine with school mates and then with the Vermont Vultures a Club in the Nunawading District in Melbourne. At Vermont Damian was coached and influenced by Jack Nicey. “Jack was the godfather of the Vermont Club...he was also instrumental in the building of Nunawading stadium,” recalls Damian.
Damian’s first representative season was the Under 12’s with the Nunawading Association. He played with the Vermont Club in the Under 14 Australian Club Championships and the team was runner-up to Bulleen in the National Final on the Gold Coast. Damian was named in the All Star Five for the tournament. His quest to represent Australia was underway.
His selection on the Victorian State teams followed and Damian played for five successive years, Under 16, Under 18 (two years) and Under 20 (two years) winning the National Championships in each of those five years. He was named as the Tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP) in both years that he played in the Under 20 National Championships. During this period at Nunawading and with Victoria he was coached by Gary Fox who had a big influence on Damian’s career in basketball.
During his two years on the Victorian Under 20 team (1980 and 1981) Damian was selected on the senior men’s teams at Nunawading. He played in the Nunawading No2 team, Box Hill, and was coached by future national Coach Barry Barnes. In these same two years he was selected to the Australian Junior Team and in 1981 toured under Coach Ian Laurie to New Zealand and in 1982 to the USA under Coach Patrick Hunt.
In 1981, as a nineteen year old, Damian was selected to attend Australian Men’s Squad training camps. In 1982 he was selected to the National Team and later that year Damian was selected to the Australian Men’s Team for the 1982 World Championships that were held in Columbia. The experience of playing in Columbia under incredible security affected all the team. The team played very well and after defeating Brazil secured 5th place in the tournament the equal best ever result for the Australian Men’s Team at a World Championships (equalled by the 1994 team). Damian was establishing himself as the main back-up guard for Phil Smyth who was regarded by many as one of the best point guards in the world. “Phil was the benchmark for me. I set myself the task of playing and preparing myself as well as he did,” remembers Damian.
1983 Damian was a member of the Australian Team when they undertook a twelve match tour to the USA and Canada.
In 1984 Damian played for the Australian Team (now called the “Boomers”) in three games against the touring Yugoslavian Club team Buducnost. His play over this period was exceptional and he was selected on the Australian Men’s Team for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. “I received a letter in the mail telling me of my selection. That was how it was done in those days,” says Damian. “I was very excited. I was only 22 and the contest to be Phil’s back-up was very intense. It was pretty special being selected.”
Damian comments, “My best memories of the 1984 LA Games were the Olympic Village, the security and playing at the Forum, beating Brazil and losing to Spain when a win would have put Australia through to the medal rounds.”It was a great learning experience for Damian. The Boomers claimed 7th position, their best performance to that time.
After playing for the Nunawading Spectres in the National Basketball League (NBL) from 1980 to 1984 Damian moved in 1985 to Sydney to play with the Sydney West Stars in the NBL, a Club owned by the high flying Geoffrey Edelsten the owner of the Sydney Swans AFL team. Damian played at the West Stars for two years before the team was merged with the Sydney Supersonics in 1988 to become the Sydney Kings. Damian was to play with the Kings from 1988 to 1995.
Damian played for the Boomers against the PAC 10 All Stars in 1985 and did not play for the Boomers again until 1987.
In 1987 Damian was selected to the Australian Boomers team that won the Oceania 1988 Olympic Qualification Tournament and toured to Europe for nine games. He also played two matches against the Big East All Stars. In 1987 he played for the Boomers against the Soviet Union in Australia in a sell-out tour that catapulted Australian basketball to another level in terms of spectator and media support. Going up against some of the best guards in world basketball was a tremendous development for Damian and all the Boomers.
During 1988 Damian played for the Boomers in a series of two games against Czechoslovakia and Nebraska University. Then he played for the Boomers against the Soviet Union again in Australia shortly before the Seoul Olympics and again the tour was a huge crowd-puller and media event. The tour was also the best possible preparation for the Boomers going into the Olympics. Damian played in all games in the series and was selected to the Boomers team for the 1988 Olympic Games.
Damian recalls the 1988 Olympics. “They were very special. We...all Australian teams...flew over together in one plane.....we had great sponsors...there were 500 identical Australian Olympic bags going around the carousel in Seoul. The Boomers had a wonderful blend of young guys such as Luc (Longley), “Hoggie” (Mark Bradtke), “Hoff” (Andrew Vlahov) and “Drewey” (Andrew Gaze) plus all the veterans... everyone knew their role... and we played special basketball to get Australia through to the semi-finals for the first time in history. I think that the 1988 team established a sense of history and showed the way for others to follow.”
Damian played very well in Seoul and had some very significant games for the Boomers and was at the height of his game. His leadership, high basketball IQ, determination, aggression and skills were very important to the Boomers.
Damian played with the Sydney Kings (1988-1995) under the coaching of Bob Turner and the entrepreneurial skills of Mike Wreblewski.
In 1989 Damian and the Boomers were extremely busy and played games against the Kareem Abdul Jabaar All Stars (two games), the NBL All Stars (one game), won the Oceania 1990 World Championships Qualification Tournament, and undertook a seventeen match tour of the USA and Argentina. This last tour was significant as the team was under strength and the “veterans” such as Damian had to lead the way for the Boomers on the court.
Damian was a member of the Boomers Team that played six games against the NBL All Stars in 1990, before playing in the Goodwill Games in Seattle on the way to the 1990 World Championships in Argentina. In Argentina the Boomers finished in 7th place and were only one point away (losing to the USA) from qualifying for the top four.
In 1991 he played for the Boomers when they won the Oceania 1992 Olympic Qualification Tournament, defeated Italian Club Fortitudo Bologna (two games) and then undertook a tour of Europe in November.
The next year, 1992, Damianwas selected for his third Olympic Games. The Boomers played in series against China and the South West Conference All Stars, and against local All Star teams. NBL commitments kept the team in Australia up to the weekend prior to the Games in what was less than ideal preparation. Damian recalls,“I think the 1992 was the most talented team I ever played on. It had great players in every position, all of whom were household names in Australian basketball...and of course we had Luc Longley from the NBA. We thrashed Puerto Rico the 5th ranked team in the world 117-76 in what might have been the greatest and most complete game ever played by an Australian men’s team. We had so much talent that it was hard to define everyone’s role and I think that hurt us in the end.”
The Boomers came 6th in the Olympic Tournament in what was a very meritorious result.
In 1993 Damian played for the Boomers in the series against Russia (six games), the NBL All Stars and on the team that won the Oceania 1994 World Championship Qualification Tournament.
He played for the Boomers in 1994 against USA Marathon Oil, George Washington University, and the CBA and NBL All Stars. After these games Damian was selected to the Boomers for the 1994 World Championships which were held in Canada. Damian was now one of the veterans on the Boomers and his leadership and experience were much valued. The Boomers secured an excellent 5th place a result that equalled the Boomers best result ever in a World Championships. The World Championships were Damian’s last games for Australia.
Damian retired from playing basketball after the 1995 season with the Sydney Kings. He had played 406 games in the NBL with Nunawading, Bankstown, West Sydney and the Sydney Kings. He scored 5,545 career points at an average of 13.7 points per game, had taken 1,483 rebounds and made 2,012 assists and had played in five NBL All Star games. At the Sydney Kings he is third in games played (215), in points scored (3240), in field goal attempts (2711) and in baskets made (1119). Damian captained the Kings from 1989 until he retired in 1995 and was the club MVP in 1990.
Damian Keogh played over 200 games for Australia and competed at three World Championships and three Olympic Games. He is a member of the rare group of triple Olympians. “I played in a Golden Age of basketball in Australia. My timing was so fortunate. The NBL was at its peak and the Boomers had pushed through to the elite level internationally. We were all so lucky to be in that time,” says Damian.
When asked about who influenced him most Damian replied “For me it was not just one person, it was also not just about basketball but life. Coaches such as Jack Nicey, Gary Fox, Barry Barnes, Lindsay Gaze, Adrian Hurley and Bob Turner taught me about basketball but also about leading a balanced life. They were all incredibly passionate about basketball but they were balanced as well.”
“Basketball taught me so much for my career away from basketball. It taught me about handling adversity, having perseverance, being part of a team, doing my best, helping others and a whole host of skills. It also taught me that if you don’t know where you come from you don’t know where you are going,” says Damian.
After he retiredfrom playing basketball Damian developed a career in marketing and the media. He served as a director of Basketball Australia and Basketball NSW and serves on Boards of a number of charities. He is the Chairman of the Cronulla Sharks Rugby League Club in the National Rugby League. He has written two books, “Making a Dream Come True” and “Money for Jam”. He married fellow Olympian Maree White and has three children.
Damian Keogh has been inducted into the NBL Hall of Fame and the NSW Sports Hall of Champions.
Damian playing for Australia against the Kareem-Abdul-Jabaar All Stars (Basketball Australia)
Damian Keogh playing for Australia (Basketball Australia)
Damian Keogh playing for the Sydney Kings (The Basketballer Magazine)