Graduate Profile

Master of Business (Sport Management), Off Campus. Graduated 2010

Currently: Electoral Official, State Parliament of Victoria

As an official with Tennis Australia, Kane Lillywhite covered more than his share of the court. He worked at all the Grand Slam tournaments, on various tennis assignments throughout North America and Europe, plus the Beijing Olympics. But in 2008, after more than four years enjoying a jet setting lifestyle, Kane says it was time to settle down and consider his long term career.

I was already working in the sport and recreation industry and I wanted to stay in this industry, he says. 'But I wanted to get a postgraduate qualification in sport. I was told that sport management at Deakin is the best in Australia and that is what motivated me to do a postgraduate course at Deakin.' After being away from Australia and Melbourne for 11 months of the year, Kane wanted to cut back on his tennis involvement without giving it up completely. Enter Deakin's off campus study option and the flexibility to do the work when it suits the student. 'Everyone was really flexible and they made it really easy for me,' he says. When he explained that overseas commitments sometimes would clash with the due dates of his assignments, Kane says staff were very cooperative. 'They said, 'You tell me when you want it to be due'. A couple of assignments I brought forward and submitted early, and others were late because I was working overseas. They were very flexible.'

Kane says the efficiency of DSO (Deakin Services Online) meant he 'never missed out on anything'. 'There was lots of material - well beyond the course description. If you were really interested in a particular subject you could read up on it.' The opportunity to gain extra knowledge is very important in a masters course, Kane adds. 'It is not just the marks you get, it is about what you take away from it. An employer wants to know, what have you learned from it?'

Having experts brought in to teach various aspects of the course also impressed Kane. 'The uni has good contacts in the sport industry who are willing to come in and talk. It is not just academics delivering a course,' he explains. 'We had Daniel Kowalski come in on behalf of the Victorian Institute of Sport, former International Cricket Council CEO Malcolm Speed and the Managing Director of Football Federation Victoria, Lydia Dowse.'

Kane's current position as an Electorate Official with the State Parliament of Victoria is a step in the right direction to securing a government job in sport. 'It's a great job in a varied role, from responding to constituents to proactively promoting the MP in the community and trying to keep on the pulse of community issues' he says. 'I would love a government job in sport – something where I develop sports infrastructure,' he says. 'I am particularly interested in community and encouraging participation – a more holistic approach to sport. I think you need to differentiate yourself by having this postgraduate qualification.'