Damian Kevin Drum (born July 28, 1960) is the Nationals member for Northern Region in the Victorian parliament, Australia. He is also a former Australian football coach. His most notable coaching appointment was with Fremantle in the Australian Football League, but he turned to a political career after being sacked in 2001. Drum was first elected to parliament in 2002, and is currently The Nationals spokesman for Racing, Community Services, Housing and Aboriginal Affairs. is the 209th day of the year (210th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Party of Australia is an Australian conservative political party, which claims to represent rural voters. ... The electoral district of Northern Victoria Region is one of eight new electoral divisions of the state of Victoria, Australia, each of which elects five members to the upper house of the Parliament of Victoria, the Victorian Legislative Council, by proportional representation. ... The Parliament of Victoria is a bicameral, or two-house, legislature. ... High marking is a key skill and spectator attribute of Aussie Rules Precise field and goal kicking using the oval shaped ball is the key skill in Aussie Rules Football Australian rules football, also known as Australian football, Aussie rules, or simply football or footy is a code of football... Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers and known informally as Freo, is one of 16 teams in the Australian Football League. ... The Australian Football League (AFL), formerly known as the Victorian Football League, and sometimes known as the VFL/AFL, is the elite Australian national competition in the sport of Australian rules football. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Legislative elections for the Victorian Legislative Assembly and for half the seats in the Victorian Legislative Council were held on Saturday November 30, 2002. ...

Early life

Drum was born in Shepparton. After graduating from high school, he became a carpenter and joiner, running his own shed construction business for several years. At the same time, he embarked on a football career, and was drafted to the then-VFL's Geelong Football Club in 1981. Over the next nine years, he played 63 games for Geelong. While playing football, he also operated his own business selling sheds and garages. After his retirement from football in 1990, he quit his business and took up a coaching position with Port Melbourne Boroughs in the Victorian Football League. Location of Shepparton in Victoria (red) Shepparton is the fifth largest city in Victoria, Australia. ... The Australian Football League (AFL), formerly known as the Victorian Football League, and sometimes known as the VFL/AFL, is the elite Australian national competition in the sport of Australian rules football. ... The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is an Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League with a rich history. ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... The Port Melbourne Football Club is an Australian Football club based in Melbourne and currently playing in the Victorian Football League. ... For other uses, see VFL (disambiguation). ...

Football Career

In 1994, Drum moved to Sydney, taking up a position as the assistant coach of the Sydney Swans Australian Football League club, under coach and former player Ron Barassi. After five years in this role, Drum was approached by Fremantle, who had not renewed the contract of their first coach, Gerard Neesham. Drum had been one of the most highly anticipated coaching recruits of the season, and some were surprised that he signed with the struggling Dockers. He had been expected to sign with the Collingwood Football Club the previous year, but the deal had fallen through. Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar). ... Sydney Swans is an Australian Football League (AFL) club based in Sydney, New South Wales. ... Ronald Dale Barassi, Jr (born 27 February 1936) was an Australian rules football player and coach. ... Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers and known informally as Freo, is one of 16 teams in the Australian Football League. ... Gerard Neesham (born 11 December 1954) was an Australian rules footballer in the WAFL and VFL as well as coach in the WAFL and AFL. Today he is chief executive of the Clontarf Foundation. ... Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League. ...

Damian Drum coaching football

Drum coached Fremantle for three seasons, in which the side suffered a marked lack of success. In his first season, the club finished 15th (second-last). Though there was some slight improvement in his second season, in which Fremantle won several high-profile games, the club nevertheless struggled, and finished twelfth. However, it was the 2001 season, in which Fremantle lost the first 9 games under Drum that sealed Drum's fate. He was sacked after Round 9, and replaced by former Fremantle player and inaugural club captain Ben Allan, who didn't fare much better, with the Dockers still winless after Round 17 (in a 22-round season). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Ben Allan (born October 10, 1968) is an Australian rules footballer. ...

After losing the Fremantle job, Drum moved back to Victoria, and took up a position as coach of the Bendigo Diggers team in the Victorian Football League. The situation was similar to Fremantle - the Diggers, a relatively new club, lost the first eleven games of the season. At the end of the season, Drum decided to retire from football and move into politics, successfully seeking National pre-selection for the Victorian Legislative Council seat of North Western Province at the 2002 state election. For other uses, see VFL (disambiguation). ... The National Party of Australia is an Australian conservative political party, which claims to represent rural voters. ... The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

Political life

Damian Drum and Peter Ryan outside Parliament House

Drum first ran for office amidst the Labor Party landslide, in which many seats across the state fell to the minority government, and numerous shadow ministers lost their seats. Drum was elected despite the losses sustained by the conservative parties, with the Liberal Party losing a net total of 26 seats whilst the Nationals suffered a net loss of only one seat. The conservatives had ended their coalition in 2000 and campaigned separately. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Peter Ryan (born 30 October 1950) is an Australian politician and leader of the National Party of Australia in Victoria. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... The Coalition in Australian politics refers to the grouping of two political parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922, with only brief breaks (e. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The demise of the conservative coalition meant that the Nationals had numerous portfolios to fill in order to replace all those that had been occupied by the larger Liberal Party. Despite being a newly elected member with no previous political experience, Drum found himself Deputy Leader of the National Party in the Legislative Council, party Whip, and Shadow Minister for Youth Affairs, Education Services, Sport, Recreation, Racing, Consumer Affairs and the Commonwealth Games. Drum has also been a member of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee since 2003. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 2003 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 2003, in a conscience vote (a rare event in Australian politics), Drum voted against the passage of a bill legalising stem-cell research on excess IVF embryos. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 2003 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

For the 2006 election the Upper House of the Victorian parliament underwent major structural changes. Drum's previous seat of North-West Region was replaced by the much larger Northern Region and proportional rather than preferential voting. Drum was easily elected with a quota in his own right but is the only National Party member for the region. A general election for the 56th Parliament of Victoria took place on Saturday, 25 November 2006. ... The Parliament of Victoria is a bicameral, or two-house, legislature. ... The electoral district of Northern Victoria Region is one of eight new electoral divisions of the state of Victoria, Australia, each of which elects five members to the upper house of the Parliament of Victoria, the Victorian Legislative Council, by proportional representation. ... The National Party of Australia is an Australian conservative political party, which claims to represent rural voters. ...

Drum is currently the deputy leader of The Nationals in the Legislative Council. The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia. ...

External links

• Official Website
• The Nationals - Victoria