Jacob Gough Ebook Intro Jacob Gough is an Aussie entrepreneur making waves in the business world (and, in his free time, on the beach). With many commercial achievements behind him and ambitions for even bigger wins in the future, Jacob has a unique talent for turning business dreams into viable, profitable realities. http://www.jacobgough.net.au

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Sports and business stars share the many rewards sport has to offer
and show how we can all be good sports on and off the field
More than Sport!
‘Sport provides such a great platform to succeed in any area of life!’
Jonathan Brown

3. Sports and business stars share the many rewards sport has to offer
and show how we can all be good sports on and off the field
By Jacob Gough
www.sportsrewards.org
More than Sport!

4. Contents
Pre season ......................................................................................................................... 3
INTERVIEW introductions
Leigh Matthews (AFL Legend).................................................................................... 7
Tom Potter (Founder Eagle Boys Pizza) ........................................................................ 9
Rowie Szeszeran-McEvoy
(Founder Max International College for Fitness Professionals) ..................................... 12
Jonathan Brown (Brisbane Lions) ............................................................................. 14
Linda Allen (Small Business Owner)........................................................................... 15
John Grey (Small Business Owner).............................................................................. 17
Nathan Sharpe (Wallaby and Captain of Western Force)........................................ 19
Steph Gilmore (2 x World Pro Surfing Champion).................................................. 20
Tony Smith (Founder BreakFree Travel and Roamfree.com)................................... 21
Jason Culina (Socceroo)............................................................................................... 22
Bill Nelson (Former AIS Swim coach),) ..................................................................... 23
Libby Trickett (Olympic Gold Medalist)................................................................... 25
Wayne Bennett (NRL Legend)................................................................................... 26

5. 3
Pre season
MOST people have a fond sporting memory, whether it be as a
player or supporter. Sport is an integral part of Australian culture. It
is the one thing that puts everyone on a level playing field. It is the
place where people from all walks of life can band together as a team
without prejudice. Children who grow up in an athletic environment
often dream of making a career out of their chosen sport.While every
child is exposed to the same set of skills and values, the unfortunate
reality is that only a very small percentage make it to the top.
I was one of those kids who didn’t ‘make the cut’. However, I
have been able to harness the strengths sport has taught me over
the years to create a life I never could have dreamt of. In fact, not
becoming an elite athlete or making a career of my chosen sport has
been the best thing to happen to me!
I was involved in just about every sport from a young age – AFL,
rugby league, cricket, basketball, athletics, cross-country, volleyball
and even chess (grade five chess champion thank you very much!).
Because of my height and my lanky frame, I discovered early on that
I had a genetic predisposition towards AFL. So, like many others
my age, I set my sights on being the next best thing at the top level.

6. I wanted to be able to just eat, sleep and play footy – what a life that
would be!
Even though it would be easy to blame injuries or politics, it’s
probably true that I simply wasn’t quite at the level I needed to be at
for a career in AFL. My propensity for injury through my ‘awkward’
or ‘growing’ years eventually led me down the path of becoming a
physiotherapist instead. I remember vividly being on the physio table
– one of many times – early in grade ten and thinking, “I could do
this…if I can’t have the lifestyle of a top footy player, I would love to
treat athletes all day!” Looking back, this was the first demonstration
to me of how sport can influence other areas of your life and how the
skills you acquire equip you to tackle any challenge.
I believe sport has taught/given me:
• Dedication/commitment
• Discipline
• The ability to focus on a goal
• Drive to succeed
• Persistence/ perseverance
• The ability to work in a team
• Time management skills
I needed each of the above skills to help me get the results
I needed at school to get into Physiotherapy at the University of
Queensland. In fact, during school and university I always found
I did better in exams during the footy season when I was actually
busiest with training. I simply had to structure my day and manage
my time better – another positive I can take from sport.
My physiotherapy degree taught me about anatomy and
physiology and in particular, the physiological benefits of physical
activity and sport. I knew it made you feel good, but learning that it
helps prevent heart disease and type two diabetes (two of Australia’s
greatest current health threats) further underlined for me the
importance of sport and physical activity for every Australian.
It was during my studies that I realised I wasn’t going to make
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7. the cut as an AFL player. I was fortunate that I had a career to fall
back on. I continued to play for my local club while working as a
physiotherapist on up-and-coming athletes. I helped to keep them
on the field so that they could make it where I didn’t. I decided to
set some new goals, now that being an AFL star like Jonathan Brown
was a distant memory. I was determined to get from working ‘til
seven every night and every Saturday to owning my own business,
working for the love of it and only when I wanted to – these goals
have lead me down the path of putting this book series together! (I
will never forget playing against Browny during his first year with
Brisbane. He was 18 and I was 19. He was centre-half-forward
against me during a curtain-raiser at the ‘Gabba. I got the points
that night I must say. Although chatting with Browny about it since
then, he strangely doesn’t remember it as well as I do!)
My passion has always been sport. It has given me so much
and I want to ensure there are no obstacles to others experiencing
all the positive things that physical activity and sport can bring. As I
mentioned earlier,I believe everyone who plays sport from childhood
is exposed to the same skill sets and sporting values over time. To
be able to assist people to harness those skills and apply them away
from the sporting arena is the challenge – and my personal goal.
With the help of those closest to me, I have set up The Sports
Rewards Foundation in order to inject money back into grass-roots
sports. September has been re-named to Sportember and our major
fundraiser occurs in this month – National Sports Day. We have
a commercial arm that operates a business directory and Rewards
Card. The More than Sport book series and the Rewards Card are
gifts for those who donate to our Foundation or any athlete or club
applying for funding from our Grass-roots Assistance Program
– find out more at www.sportsrewards.org. Our commercial arm
also funds health promotion seminars at schools and workplaces in
order to address major health concerns such as childhood obesity,
type II diabetes and heart disease. So put simply, Sports Rewards is
working towards a healthier Australia; by making sport and exercise
more affordable.
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8. Not only are we striving to inject money back into grass-roots
sport and health promotion, but a key message of this book is to
encourage people to tap into the skill sets inherent in sport to unlock
the good sport in all of us.
For me, the definition of a good sport is someone who reaches
their potential and someone who is always thoughtful of others –
values that inspire me and hopefully others as well.
There are 27 good sports in this book, all with important
messages to share.There is a selection of elite athletes, high powered
business owners, smaller business owners and even a silver logie
winner – all successful in their own right. For each contributor,
sport and exercise played a major role in helping to get them to
where they are – and remains an influence in their respective lives
today.There is someone that everyone can relate to in this book, so
please enjoy!
Thanks in advance for being a good sport – in every aspect of
your life!
Yours in Sport,
Jacob Gough
P.S. Schools, sporting clubs and other not for profit organisations are encouraged to
utilise this book and/or our Sports Rewards Card to raise funds – contact us online to
find out more.
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9. 7
Leigh Matthews
“Everyone is a leader by their actions. Everybody’s actions affect the
group that they’re involved in.”
LEIGH “Lethal” Matthews has a legendary Australian Rules
football career behind him, both on the field and behind the
scenes. He played for the Hawthorn Hawks in the Victorian
Football League between 1969 and 1985 and was captain of the
team for his last five years there. Matthews went on to become
head coach at Collingwood for ten years, before coaching the
Brisbane Lions from 1999 to 2008. He has been voted the “Best
Player of the 20th Century” and inducted into the Legend of
Australian Football Hall of Fame – the highest individual honour
which can be bestowed upon a football personality. Statistically,
Lethal is also one of the most successful AFL coaches of all
time.
Matthews’ nickname “Lethal” is a lasting tribute to his
propensity for giving and receiving significantly hard knocks.
Most notably, in 1982, Lethal collided with a thick, wooden
“behind” post atWindy Hill.A piece of the post, measuring about
one metre, broke off and hit the boundary umpire!

10. 8
In 1971, at just 19, Matthews established himself as one of the
league’s elite players, earning his first of 14 Victorian guernseys;
eight Hawthorn Best and Fairest awards; and four premiership
medallions. Upon his retirement, Matthews had scored 915 goals
in 332 games, a tally which remains undefeated by any other non
full-forward. Lethal is ranked the seventh highest goal kicker of
all-time.
After a successful stint with Collingwood as head coach,
which included a premiership, Matthews was coaxed out of his
second retirement by the struggling Brisbane Lions. They had
just won the 1998 ‘wooden spoon.’ Lethal’s impact at the club
was immediate; lifting the team from sixteenth to fourth in the
competition by the following year. His coaching abilities secured
a place for the Lions in four consecutive Grand Finals.The team’s
wins against Collingwood in 2002 and 2003 gave Matthews a
total of eight premiership medallions (playing and coaching
combined). In 2007, he coached his 200th game with the club,
making him the first person to play or coach 200 games with
three different clubs.
In 2002,theAFLPA MostValuable Player award was renamed
the Leigh Matthews Trophy. A humble champion and leader,
Matthews speaks here about the importance of teamwork and
finding where your natural abilities lie.
“You lose a lot! That’s a valuable
life-lesson though – you have to cope with
losing and be able to bounce back. Sport is
about being prepared to have a go.”
Leigh Matthews

11. 9
Tom Potter
“Maximize the opportunities to do what you enjoy.”
BENDIGO-BORNTom Potter is the founder of Eagle Boys Pizza
and one of Australia’s most sought-after public speakers. He also
has a solid grass-roots AFL career behind him.
Tom left school at 15 and completed a baking apprenticeship.
At 23 and unemployed, he opened his first pizza shop in Albury,
New South Wales. Despite his minimal education and a lack
of financial resources, Tom managed to build his business into
Australia and New Zealand’s largest privately owned pizza
company. Tom’s innovative retail and marketing approach has
earned him numerous awards over the past 20 years, including
the Australian Financial Review’s Young Business Person of the
Year. Along with this he was granted a scholarship to Harvard
BusinessSchoolandbecamevaledictorianofhisgraduatingclass.
In 2003,Tom was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Australia’s
Top 20 Most Influential and Successful People in Franchising.
Tom began playing AFL in country Victoria at the age of
ten. Since then, the powerful full-back and half-forward-flank
has represented clubs in Alice Springs (Rovers), Adelaide (Port

12. Districts), Sydney (Balmain), Coffs Harbour (North Coffs
Kangaroos) and Brisbane (Yeronga). He missed a few seasons
to dedicate himself to establishing Eagle Boys and hung up his
boots altogether at 35.
A true team-player,Tom dedicates much of his time now to
sharing his story in order to motivate others. He has been invited
to give speeches to audiences from all walks of life in Australia,
New Zealand, the United States and South Africa. Here, Tom
reveals that much of his success in business can be attributed to
the tenacity and discipline he learned from Australian Rules.
“I think there are quite a few skills
that you can apply both to business
and sport... structure, discipline and
tenacity all contribute...”
Tom Potter
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13. 11
Tom soaring above the pack

14. 12
Rowena Szeszeran-McEvoy
“If you love what you’re doing, then you’re not working
- you’re playing.”
ROWIE McEvoy, founder of the MAX International College for
Fitness Professionals – made up of five exclusive colleges – has
26 years of experience in the fitness industry. Since running away
from home at the age of 15, Rowie has made up for in innovation
what she lacks in education.
Her passion for exercise has seen Rowie progress from
teenage aerobics instructor to business owner, head lecturer
in Advanced Diploma-level business and fitness courses and
internationalmotivationalspeaker.Rowiehasgivenpresentations
at corporate conferences in Europe, New Zealand and the UK
and been a keynote presenter at similar health forums in
Australia. These include Diabetes Australia medical forums,
Education Queensland Principals’ conferences, Rotary events
and many more. Between 2005 and 2007, Rowie’s college was
named consecutively in Business ReviewWeekly’sTop 100 fastest-
growing businesses inAustralia.During those same years,she was
also ranked among the country’sTop 20 richest young people.

15. 13
More important to Rowie than financial gain, is reaching
people with her message of the vital role exercise plays in saving
lives. She has seen her mother’s advanced osteoporosis regress
to the less-serious osteopenia, through guided strength training.
Rowie is on a personal mission to drastically reduce two of the
western world’s biggest killers – coronary heart disease and type
II diabetes. The fitness fanatic from Campbelltown in western
Sydney practices everything she preaches and her energy is
contagious! See for yourself…
“Exercise is me! It’s just a core discipline.
I exercise every single day, without fail. If you
want to be successful in life, you have to be
disciplined in all areas of your life. Exercise
looks after your muscles and your bones.
It gives you self-esteem and self-confidence.
It determines the condition of your skin and
hair and controls your heart rate. Everything
is determined by your health and fitness level,
really. I believe it’s the key to success!”
Rowie Szeszeran-McEvoy

16. 14
Jonathan Brown
“Hard work and preparation is a major key to success.”
HAILING from countryVictoria, Jonathan Brown was drafted at
18 by the Brisbane Lions in 1999, under the Father/Son rule. He
was groomed as the Club’s centre-half forward and played his
first senior game the next year, in round 5, against the Adelaide
Crows.
The current Lions’ captain really stamped his dominance on
the game in 2007. Jonathan won the Coleman Medal (for being
the League’s leading goal kicker), the first of his two club’s Best
and Fairest awards to date, the AFLPA Best Captain Award and
the Robert Rose Award for Most Courageous Player. To top off
his phenomenal year, Jonathan also came runner-up in the Leigh
Matthews’Trophy for the League’s MostValuable Player and was
named vice captain of the All Australian team. AFL guru, Mike
Sheahan, named him the best player in the competition.
Jonathan’s exceptional work ethic sees him consistently
deliveringresultsonthefield.Hebelievesthatstrongpreparation,
honesty and team work are essential to success.

17. 15
Linda Allen
“Whoever hangs in the longest and learns the most, will end up on top.”
LINDAAllen’s impressive triple jump achievements are matched
only by her entrepreneurial savvy.The former LittleAthletics star
from Brisbane has been ranked number one in Australia since
2005. In 2006, while still in high school, she established Linda
Allen Fitness, a niche-market personal training enterprise.
Linda is now based in Melbourne and has sold eight
franchises so far. Amazingly, the 22-year-old is also still on track
to represent Australia at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. She
is convinced that her success both on and off the field is ninety
percent mental and ten percent physical. Linda believes that
anyone is capable of achieving what she has! She is more than
happy to share her tips with you.
“Talent is a myth.”
Linda Allen

18. 16
Linda Allen,Australian Championships 2009 - Gold
“A good sport is someone who has
a go and keeps having a go even in
the face of failure.”
Linda Allen

19. 17
John Grey
“Sport has given me a strong work ethic and the ability
to work well within a team.”
SYDNEY-BASED Good Sports franchise owner, John Grey, is
also an elite-level NRL contender with the Manly Sea Eagles.
John’s Rugby League career began seven years ago in country
New SouthWales. His sporting highlights to date include winning
a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport and playing at
an international level against New Zealand for NSW Country
Under-16s. He was picked up by the Manly Sea Eagles at the
age of sixteen, after scoring five tries in three games at the NSW
Country championships and six tries in one game in his local
under-16s team.
Off the field, John cites his greatest achievements as moving
away from his comfort zone in Dubbo and purchasing his
growing Good Sports Home Services franchise.The Toyota Cup
Under-20s representative believes that good communication and
teamwork have been instrumental in his success so far.

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John and partner Cara Johnston – proud franchise owners
“You’ve got to have a back-up plan.”
John Grey

21. Nathan Sharpe
“The harder you work, the luckier you are in life, on and off the field.”
FAMILY man Nathan Sharpe’s career includes 74 games for the
Wallabies and two World Cup victories so far.The Rugby Union
veteran resides in coastalWesternAustralia and says he could just
as easily have been a fisherman! For the past four years Nathan
has played on theWestern Force and is the current captain.
At 31 Nathan has forged a solid career in his chosen sport,
while maintaining an equally-strong dedication to his wife and
children. He believes it is important not to lose track of what you
have off the field…
“Never lose the excitement of playing
with your mates.”
Nathan Sharpe
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22. 20
Steph Gilmore
“I found the right balance of confidence and focus.”
MURWILLUMBAH-BORN Steph Gilmore claimed her first
major surfing title at the elite Roxy Pro Gold Coast competition,
as a 17-year-old wildcard, in 2005. She is currently the two-time
reigning ASPWomen’sWorld Champion.
Now living atTweed Heads, the Snapper Rocks Boardriders’
star surfer likes to play guitar in her spare time and has already
invested in local real estate. Steph talks here about how a natural
progression into the sport and her connection with the ocean
have helped her achieve her dreams.

23. 21
Tony Smith
“Sport was always just a stepping-stone to succeeding in business.”
TONY Smith is the founder of BreakFree Resorts and Holidays,
theRoamfreeGroupandwww.schoolies.com.BreakFreeLimited
was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in September 2002.
He sold the company in 2005 and launched Roamfree.
Tony was presented with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur
of theYear Award in 2005, almost 16 years after starting his first
business from scratch.The Roamfree Group allows travellers to
compare accommodation at more than 100,000 hotels in over
100 different countries. In June 2008 alone, his newest company
processed more than 250,000 bookings.
The ex-Sydney Swan, and fax machine salesman wisely
chose, at 22, to focus his energy on the one thing he knew he
would truly excel in – making money.Tony’s story shows just how
far you can go if you use the right skills and realise that even the
most successful person is still just a person. They had to start
somewhere too!

24. 22
Jason Culina
“There is no substitute for hard work!”
JASON Culina always believed he could make it to the top in
soccer.The 28-year-old midfielder from Sydney, who has already
played in one World Cup and three World Championships, is
about to become the highest-paid footballer in Australia. He
is a man more motivated by giving back to his home country,
than by money, though. His contract with Dutch team PSV
would have paid more and Croatia was also interested in
making him an offer. Jason made his decision to come back
to Australia to captain Gold Coast United, a new side in our
A-League competition, purely from the heart.
His success didn’t come easily and Jason is more than ready
to share his story with others looking to embark on a soccer
career. His ten years of experience playing football in Europe,
along with his ability to overcome disappointments and accept
criticism, give Jason a great vantage point to offer advice to any
Australian with a dream of their own.

25. 23
Bill Nelson
“I get people to look forward to life after sport.”
BILL Nelson, multi-award winning Olympic swim coach and
former vice-president of the World Swim Coaches Association,
is now an elite business performance coach. Bill’s motivational,
organisational and team building expertise has seen him sought-
after by corporate organisations, defence forces, educational
institutions, local governments and elite sporting bodies
throughout the world. His services draw on his success as a swim
coach, which most famously saw him elicit peak performances
at the Barcelona (1992) and Atlanta (1996) Olympic Games.
From the mid-1990’s until 2001 Bill was a consultant to
Brian Goorjian, former head coach of the Melbourne Magic and
VictoriaTitans champion National Basketball League teams. He
later helped steer the Sydney Kings to the National Basketball
League (NBL) crown in the 2003, 2004, 2005 seasons, as well as
to Grand Final appearances in 2006 and 2008, through his work
with Brian. Among other recent notable NBL achievements, he
was a consultant to Basketball Australia and the men’s national
team, in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.This is Bill’s

26. 24
14th season working with NBL coach, Brian Goorjian.
In his current role as performance strategist Bill serves as
a mentor to many leading professional surfers and skateboard
ridersonmen’sandwomen’stourswithinternationally-renowned
surf company, Billabong. He is also a consultant to NRL referees
and match officials and has provided team-building training
to Australian Rules Football, Rugby League and Rugby Union
clubs.
Bill was asked to participate in the 2000 Sydney Olympic
Torch Relay and has also been presented with an Australian
Sports Medal and the Commonwealth Sports Achievement
Award over the years. His invaluable insight is no longer the
exclusive property of Olympic or elite level athletes. Individuals,
teams and business organisations have successfully incorporated
the Nelson message into their pursuit of achievement at the
highest level.Wherever he walks success continues to follow.
Bill keeping an eye on his latest pupil; Joel Parkinson

27. Libby Trickett
“Swimming has given me the confidence to study at Uni.”
TRIPLE Olympic gold medallist Libby Trickett has been
swimming for as long as she can remember. To date, the
24-year-oldQueenslanderhaswonsixOlympicGamesmedals,as
well as six Commonwealth Games and 11 World Championship
medals. Libby has achieved her success representing Australia
across the 100m and 50m freestyle, 100m butterfly and the
4x100m medley and freestyle relay events.
Currently completing a Bachelor of Communication in
Brisbane, the girl who once thought she’d teach P.E is now an
internationally respected athlete, happily married and a proud
aunty. Libby trains with Eammon Sullivan’s coach, Grant
Stoelwinder.
Libby’s huge smile and her commitment to her sport and
community make her one of our favourite ‘good sports.’ She has
some great advice…
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28. 26
Wayne Bennett
“The role of sport in society is undervalued.”
IN the introduction toWayne Bennett’s book ‘Don’t Die with the
Music in You,’ respected sports writer Steve Crawley says, “His
players play for him and he trains them for them – unequivocally.”
Many others have backed this recognition of Wayne as a much-
revered coach and he remains one of the greatest mentors in
Rugby League history. Big names like Allan Langer, Gene Miles,
GordonTallis, KevinWalters and Darren Lockyer have all trained
under the first-ever Brisbane Broncos coach.
Wayne grew up in a working class family in Warwick,
Queensland. Before he became involved full-time with
Queensland Rugby League, he worked as a police officer.
As a player, Wayne represented Queensland from 1971-73
and the talented winger was also selected to play for Australia on
the 1971 tour of New Zealand. He began his coaching career in
Ipswich in 1976, before moving on to train Souths and Brothers
in the early 1980’s. After the births of his three children, Wayne
took some time out.
In 1986,Wayne made his coaching debut for the Queensland

29. 27
State of Origin team. Of the five series he took charge of, the
Maroons only lost one. His most memorable win was in 2001,
when he coaxed Allan Langer home from England for the
deciding game. At an international level, Wayne was appointed
Kangaroos coach in 1998 and that year Australia was undefeated
against New Zealand. He was also instrumental in the revival of
theTri-Nations series and, in 2005, led Australia to victory in the
second series.
Of the six Grand Final appearances the Brisbane Broncos
made duringWayne’s 21 season reign as coach, the team claimed
every one. It is the most Grand Final wins of any coach; and
Wayne also holds the record for the highest number of seasons
with a single Rugby League club. He retired from the Broncos
in 2008.
Wayne’s exceptional character, both on and off the field, has
been recognised through such accolades as “Coach of the Year,”
“Father of the Year,” and the “Medal of the Order of Australia.”
He has also been awarded the “Australia Sports Medal” for
his outstanding contribution to the development of sport. Now
head-coach at St George Illawara, Wayne remains involved in
coaching for Queensland through the Queensland Academy of
Sport and in an off-field role with Queensland Rugby League. He
can’t praise the benefits of sport enough...

30. 28
“Don’t be scared to reach new heights and
soar above the crowd.”
Jacob Gough

31. More than Sport!
In his literary debut grass-roots athlete Jacob Gough
explores the skills and values that sport, at all levels,
can teach. Read about the origins and motivations of
some of Australia’s top athletes and about how others
have put their sporting skills to good use, to succeed
in other areas of life. This book will inspire you to
succeed on and off the field!
On the field: Wayne Bennett (NRL legend), Leigh Matthews (AFL Legend), Jonathan Brown
(Brisbane Lions), Steph Gilmore (World Surfing Champ), Libby Trickett (Olympic Gold Medalist),
Emily Seebohm (Olympic Gold Medalist), Duncan Free (Olympic Gold Medalist),
Nathan Sharpe (Wallaby), Jason Culina (Socceroo), Chris Vermeulen (Moto GP) and more…
Off the field: Tom Potter (Founder Eagle Boys Pizza), Bill Nelson (Former AIS Swim coach),
Tony Smith (Founder BreakFree Travel and Roamfree.com), Natalie Blair (Neighbours),
Robbie Bennetts (Founder Professional Investment Services), Rowena Szeszeran-McEvoy
(Founder Max International College for Fitness Professsional) and more…
Incredible success stories on and off the field.
What you will gain from this book.
• an understanding of how to identify the skills and values that sport teaches
• how these can be applied to excel in other areas of life
• tips on making it to the top
• what to do if you don’t ‘make it’
• the power of embracing good sport values on and off the field
• encouragement to overcome obstacles to succeed in life
www.sportsrewards.org