“WHEN ‘Ebo’ came in, the conversations we had, he had very similar experiences when he was a player.”

Brodie Kemp has said it numerous times before: when it came to his breakthrough 2023 campaign, Carlton development coach Brad Ebert played a crucial role.

In what was Ebert’s first year at IKON Park as a member of the coaching staff, the former Port Adelaide midfielder had an active role with the team’s emerging defenders, of which Kemp was one.

Arguably no Blue showed greater improvement than Kemp last season, and it was the shot of confidence he needed as he looks to attack 2024 with the same vigour.

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“The biggest thing for me was regaining that confidence and self belief. The two years I spent out with injury, coming back with the Covid years and not playing genuine VFL footy, my development was probably a bit stalled,” Kemp said.

“I lost a lot of belief and confidence as to whether I could be an AFL footballer, and contribute well as an AFL footballer. 

“The conversations we had [with Ebert] were honest. It was us working together on changing the perception of how I played the game, working really hard on that with craft the knowledge of how we want to play.

“I was able to draw on a lot of his experience, and he was able to help me through. It started with playing consistent VFL footy, and the next layer of our conversation was how we elevate to AFL standard.”

After two years out of the game following his retirement at the back end of 2020, Ebert soon realised that the coaching path was one he wanted to go down.

In 2024, he’ll shift roles with a midfield focus rather than a defenders focus. However, it was his work with Kemp and his fellow defenders at both AFL and VFL level which provided the first-time coach with the clarity of how rewarding the caper can be.

“I was always adamant that I didn’t just want to be defined as a footballer: I felt by getting out of football and breaking the mould a bit, it really broadened my perspective. To do that and come back with a fresh eye was exciting,” Ebert said.

“Having worked with ‘Vossy’ and Aaron Greaves in the past [at Port Adelaide], that gave me the confidence to speak my mind from the start.

“I think that’s what really becomes a positive in the coaching space, where you can work with someone so closely, and the success of [Kemp] is something that fulfils coaches.

“The fact that as a coach, you can see a player that has all the attributes but just needs to pull it together, to give that guidance is what made me realise this is where I wanted to do and be involved in.”