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Today Australian Rules football is a multi - million - dollar business' with superstar players' high - profile presidents and enough scandals to fill a soap opera. The game has changed beyond recognition - or has it? In A Game of Our Own' esteemed historian Geoffrey Blainey documents the birth of our great national game. Who were the characters and champions of the early days of Australian football? How was the VFL formed? Why was the umpire's job so difficult? Blainey takes a sceptical look at the idea that the game had its origins in Ireland or in Aboriginal pastimes. Instead he demonstrates that footy was a series of inventions. The game played in 1880 was very different to that of 1860' just as the game played today is different again. Journey back to an era when the ground was not oval' when captains acted as umpires' when players wore caps and jerseys bearing forgotten colours and kicked a round ball that soon lost its shape. A Game of Our Own is a fascinating social history and a compulsory read for all true fans of the game.
In Australia, nothing excites such passion as the tribal loyalties generated by Australian Rules football. Australia's Game is a collection of essays and writings capturing the agony and the ecstasy of our great game from some of Australia's best storytellers. More than 50 contributors share their oval dreams in reflections ranging from witty and affectionate reminiscences and expressions of hope for the future, to statements of deep alienation and betrayal. Featured writers include Don Watson, Paul Kelly, Geoffrey Blainey, Gerald Murnane, Paul Daffey, John Harms, Emma Quayle, Barry Oakley, Peter Corris, Manfred Jurgensen, Kate Eltham, Vin Maskell, Peter Schwab and many more. A revised and updated edition of The Greatest Game -- first published in 1988 -- the book retains a selection of the most poignant writings from the original version, including those by historian Manning Clark, playwright David Williamson and broadcaster Andrea Stretton. Each year millions of Australians attend or watch the footy -- they argue about it, revel in it, despair of it, or even make vain attempts to ignore it. While newspapers keep us informed of the scores or who's been dropped or traded, Australia's Game explores the deeper contribution that football has on our culture and society. From the dramatic moments on footy's centre stage, to the battles played out on dusty outback ovals, Australia's Game contains something for everyone.
What happens when the prime minister views politics only as a game? Australia wanted Scott Morrison. In a time of uncertainty, the country chose in 2019 to turn to a man with no obvious beliefs, no clear purpose and no famous talents. That we wanted Scott Morrison was the secret we did not know about ourselves. What precisely that secret is forms the subject of this book. In The Game, Sean Kelly gives us a portrait of a man, the shallow political culture that allowed him to succeed and the country that crowned him. Morrison understands – in a way that no other recent politician has – how politics has become a game. He also understands something essential about Australia – something many of us are unwilling to admit, even to ourselves. But there are things Scott Morrison does not understand. This is the story of those failures, too – and the way that, as his prime ministership continues, Morrison’s failure to think about politics as anything other than a game has become a dangerous liability, both to him and to us.
War remembrance and sport have become increasingly entwined in Australia, with AFL and NRL Anzac Day fixtures attracting larger crowds than dawn services. National representative teams travel halfway around the world to visit battle sites etched in military folklore. To validate their integration into this culturally sacred occasion, promoters point to the special role of sport in the development of the Anzac legend, and with it, the birth of the nation. The air of sombre reflection that surrounds each Anzac Day is accompanied by a celebratory nationalism that sport and war supposedly embody. But what exactly is being remembered, and indeed forgotten, in these official commemorations and tributes? In Not Playing the Game, Xavier Fowler reveals that the place of sport in the Great War was highly contested. Civilian patriots and public officials complained that spectator sport distracted young men from enlisting and wasted public finances better spent elsewhere. Sport’s defenders argued it was a necessary escape for a population weary of the pressures of war. These competing views often reflected differences of class, politics and ethnicity, and resulted in ferocious, sometimes violent, clashes. Not Playing the Game challenges the way our memories of the war are influenced by the fervour of sport, painting a picture not of triumph but immense turmoil and tragedy.
Australia is only a small player in the world’s political and economic landscapes, yet, for many decades, it has been considered to be a global powerhouse in terms of its sporting successes. In conjunction with this notion, the nation has long been portrayed as having a preoccupation with sport. This labelling has been seen as both a blessing and a curse. Those who value a Bourdieuian view of culture bemoan sport’s centrality to the national imagination and the consequent lack of media coverage, funding and prestige accorded to the arts. Other scholars question whether the popular stereotype of the Australian sportsperson is, in fact, a myth and that instead Australians are predominantly passive sport consumers rather than active sport participants. Australian sport, through its successes on the field of play and in advancing sport coaching and management, has undergone a revolution, as both an enabler of global processes and as subject to its influences (economic, political, migratory etc.). This book will examine the shifting place of Australian sports in current global and local environs, from the perspective of spectators, players and administrators. This book was previously published as a special issue of Sport in Society.
Ange Postecoglou has been at the centre of football in this country for more than thirty years. In this book, he shows us the game through his eyes, from the changing room to the boardroom, to reveal how Australia must boldly reimagine its place in the world. From his playing days with South Melbourne in the 1980s to coaching the Socceroos to victory in the 2015 Asian Cup, Ange Postecoglou’s uncompromising commitment to success has coincided with the incredible rise of football in this country. He won the old National Soccer League as a player and a coach. Now that Australian football is reaching new heights, Ange is again at the forefront: he’s won back-to-back A-League titles, led the Brisbane Roar to the longest unbeaten run in any code, and the national team to the winner’s podium. He’s a man with strong opinions about how to play and lead. Ange’s story is one of fostering a culture of success, and turning history – or precedent – on its head. He candidly relays key moments and meetings in his life, reflecting on how these have shaped his beliefs and practices, and gives frank views on where the current game is going right and wrong. What’s revealed is a bold and impassioned account of the game he loves.
The fast-paced deadly conclusion to the Secret City trilogy. 'Political insiders Steve Lewis and Chris Uhlmann bring biting wit and behind-the-headlines insight to this sharply observed novel ... House of Cards, Canberra style' Sunday Canberra Times Once feared newshound Harry Dunkley has fallen, disgraced and dispirited at having failed to reveal the existence of the cabal of mandarins pulling the strings of power in Canberra. But new purpose is in the air. Dunkley receives aid from an unlikely band of adversaries, and as the Australian government teeters between fear and greed -- wanting US security and Chinese cash -- he looks at his enemies afresh. Resurrected Labor powerhouse Catriona Bailey and the hitherto untouchable Defence chief, Sir Jack Webster, leader of the sinister cabal, have played Dunkley at every turn. Yet there is a chink in Webster that might just bring him -- and Bailey --down. 'Lewis and Uhlmann's mischeivous use of contemporary political decisions flirts with the possibilities of a roman-a-clef ... THE SHADOW GAME is a welcome addition to the ranks of fictional representations of life in our capital ... it's a book that deserves to be enjoyed by many' Ed Wright, The Australian 'Spies, sex, vengeance, politics, intrigue ... what more could you want from a book?' Canberra Times 'It reads like an episode of House of Cards or Borgen, however the third book in the Secret City series hits much closer to home ... showcasing Canberra and its politicians at their most evil, corrupt and weak ... an engaging and thought-provoking political thriller.' Law Society Journal
They said it couldn't be done. Port Adelaide's rivals called it a 'sideshow'. Yet within five years, Port Adelaide had attracted major sponsors from China, played three in-season AFL matches in Shanghai, and featured in a series of significant moments in the Australia-China relationship. This is the inside story. It was not easy. Port Adelaide's engagement with China coincided with a period in which on-field performance fell below expectation, as well as a rapid deterioration in the Australia-China relationship. It took leadership, creativity, and resilience to see the job through. Port Adelaide's China Engagement guru Andrew Hunter tells the story with its challenges and joys, disappointments and triumphs. PAFC captain Tom Jonas, journalist Michelangelo Rucci, and cheersquad leader Ian Wilson contribute their tales of the long journey from Port Adelaide to Shanghai.
'I have yet to find a game that carries as much pleasure, as much harmless excitement, and as much stimulus as the Australasian game of football... The game is Australian in its origin, Australian in its principle, and, I venture to say, essentially Australian in its development.' - Prime Minister Alfred Deakin, 1908 From its humble origins 150 years ago to the multi-million dollar budgets of today's elite teams, Australian Rules football has become a major industry. A truly home-grown sport, it has become embedded into the culture of the nation. But how did it all begin, and what happened along the way to make the game the great spectacle that it is today? And at what cost? Have the grassroots levels of the code been obscured by the commercial interests of the AFL? With original research, and including several never-before-published images, this is the only comprehensive history of the evolution of the game from the nineteenth century to the present day. It describes, for the first time, how and why Australian Rules football came to dominate the national sporting landscape.
Introduction to Australia is a brief overview of the island nation and its people, economy, history, and geography. Australia is a country located in the southern hemisphere, bordered by the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It is considered to be the world's smallest continent, and the sixth-largest country by land area. The population of Australia is approximately 25 million, and the majority of the population lives in coastal cities and towns such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth. Australia has a strong economy and is known for its natural resources, including coal, iron ore, and natural gas, which play a major role in its economy. Australia is also a leading exporter of agricultural products such as wheat, wool, and beef. The country has a diverse culture, influenced by its Indigenous Australian heritage, as well as European and Asian immigrants. The official language is English, and the currency is the Australian dollar. The country's democratic government is led by a Prime Minister, with a Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs Ministry responsible for promoting and preserving diversity within the country. Overall, Australia is a unique and diverse country that is known for its natural beauty, friendly people, and strong economy. It is a popular destination for tourists and students who are interested in exploring a new culture and learning more about the country's rich history and geography. With its stunning coastlines, unique wildlife, and a variety of landscapes, Australia is a country that offers something for everyone.